Harvest Somebody Else’s Experience
Little Girl Sold
Author Marlena De Blasi tells the story of a nine-year-old girl sold by her merchant father to a rich prince. The father is a cold-hearted and cruel man and repeatedly shuns the little girl’s love and attempts to return to her family home.
Once the little girl grows up and becomes a woman in the prince’s home, she inquires of him about her situation.
The prince assures her that he had nothing but the best of intentions for her, but asks her a question of his own.
”How did you manage to emerge from such hurtful abandonment by your father without growing bitter yourself?” She answered by relating an experience she’d had in the village market one morning years ago.
”I never forgot this,” she replied.
”The way Signor Brasini turned to his wife, put his big farmer’s hands out and caressed her face got my attention. Pulling her close to him, he kissed her just like in the movies, looked at her and smiled. When I saw that, I knew that their way would be my way and not my father’s. That was how my life was going to be. I knew that someday, I would be loved by a man like Brasini because I now understood how things worked.”
The young girl had gotten better information. Her whole life up to that point had been cold and full of bitterness; she had been mistreated and neglected by her father, yet, as soon as she saw an example of what she could and should be… she was forever transformed.
THAT – is the power of information from the correct source.
It’s a straight line for those of us who have never seen anything but a crooked line.
So, WHAT is the RIGHT SOURCE of INFORMATION?
We live in a world that is critically changing faster than ever. Information is easy to access, but…
- How do we know we’re getting the right information?
- How do we sort it all out?
I believe the best information is what we learn through those who’ve walked the path before us, by Somebody Else’s Experience. They are an example of where we want to be and what we should do to get there. I love having those conversations with these people.
There’s a cute saying that says, “You don’t know what you don’t know.”
Not only don’t we know what we don’t know but we’re also forgetting much of what we have learned! To top it off, a lot of what we know isn’t even right. Think about how many things you trusted and believed that turned out to be lies and deceit. Example: We’re told to try the latest greatest thing on the market, then find out two years later that it’s harming us. We can’t know we’re on a crooked line until someone shows us a straight one.
”Somebody Else’s Experience is the Best Teacher.”
‘The best way to walk through a minefield is to follow the footsteps of someone who has successfully crossed.
”The problem with educational institutions is they try to teach people WHAT to think instead of HOW to think.”
John Maxwell
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All of us need help traveling through this life. We need a compass for our instincts, morals and right living.
If our compass was perfect, we’d have no need for the help found in Scriptures.
There’s a way people think is right, but it only leads to death.
When God enters into an intimate relationship with us, he says “I have a map for your life in the Bible.” When faced with any kind of situation, God says, I have a map to help you navigate your way through life.
- Many think the standard Bible map for directing our lives is obsolete.
- Many are skeptical of writings as old as 1500 B.C. can tell us anything in the twenty-first century.
- Philosophy teaches that regardless of how advanced this world becomes or how primitive we still are in the ways we treat one another, what we have in common is our search for meaning and direction.
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- Does God exist?
- Is our universe real?
- Do we have free will?
- Is there life after death?
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33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law & observe it w. my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
38 Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared.
39 Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!
Before the Written Word We Call the Holy Scriptures, People Asked:
- How did we get something from nothing?
- How did the world get people that spoke multiple languages?
- Who established the moral laws that we live by?
- If God exists, does God know me? Can I know God?
- When we die, is that the end of life?
The Scriptures we know came into being because people had questions God answered & inspired people to write.
The Bible is our road map for living, dying, and living again.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
World’s Truth vs God’s Truth
The uniqueness of the Bible is that it’s HIStory. The story of Jesus, the ONE who created heaven and earth. He’s the Alpha and the Omega who began the world and he’ll bring it to conclusion.
For those who believe there’s no god, the Bible’s just another religious book with no special purpose or meaning as we journey in this life.
However, many people read the Bible with no belief and end up convinced God exists. They discover His love value of the Bible as His road map for life. The fact is that when we read the Bible, a life-changing experience begins.
While mere men wrote these words, they were inspired by God to write. The hearts of those who read the ancient words still ask the same questions and the same Spirit who spoke to the writers still speak to you and me.
The reason for this is given to us in Hebrews 4:12:
“The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
God’s Word Penetrates Our Hearts
“So shall my Word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
We come to realize that the road we’re traveling we’ve mapped for ourselves or been told to follow are not happy, content, peaceful, joyful, satisfied or fulfilled.
When we read the Bible, we’re not just reading the history of how God created the heavens and the earth. We’re reading how God remained involved through prophets, priests, and kings. He became involved in our history in a personal, intimate way, by coming to this world in the flesh, in the person of Jesus.
God Left Heaven to Join the Human Race. Why Would He Do That?
It takes trust to follow someone, but it’s nice to follow someone who knows the way. That’s what God did: He came down through Jesus, and said: “Just follow me.” “Follow me,” was one of Jesus’ favorite lines when he was gathering his disciples.
He told people the kind of life they should be living and the kind of path they should take. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24.
The Bible’s Important Because It Leads to Jesus, the Saviour of the World.
Jesus understood that the Scriptures we now call the Old Testament was HIStory. He became an important figure two thousand years ago when calendars began to be marked in some distinctive way, His Story became the standard for dividing all of time.
Anything that happened before the birth of Jesus was noted as B.C. “before Christ.” Anything after the birth of Jesus was noted as A.D., the abbreviation for “Anno Domini,” the year of our Lord. Jesus rewrote history by conquering death. Because Jesus conquered death, we have faith that the road he tells us to travel is reliable. Jesus knows the way to heaven, and we can follow him there safely.
If you’re not opening your Bible and following God’s Word, it’s time to admit you’re too prideful to ask directions.
In the Middle of Pride, is “I”
Commit to God by reaching for the Bible regularly. It’s “God-breathed, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
When you PRAY, you talk to God. When you READ, God talks to you…
I prefer to learn the hard lessons in life by someone else’s experience. The problem sometimes is that it doesn’t always impact us the way it should and we sometimes think we will have a better outcome, only to find that the other persons experience was meant to be a lesson for us
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Love the idea of learning from other people’s experience. This is like master-student and how sometimes you are the master to someone and other times the student. It is always wise to stay open and receptive to something new. The best way to expand and grow.
I think we need to be open to many paths to find the one that works best for you.
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Great story Norma. Definitely many different ways to learn and we forget what we learn. Being open to learning is important and being able to determine what is right for now is also important.
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I enjoyed re-reading this post, Norma. As I mentioned before, the best investment we can make is in ourselves! I feel like I am always a work in progress! Thank you so much for all the valuable tips!
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Great article and message. We have to be willing to follow those that are happier in their lives and successful. Those are the ones who can teach us and inspire us to become more, do more. We have to take action and be responsible for all aspects of our lives.
Wow, what a great story, and very inspirational idea. It is no secret that abuse begats abuse, because that’s “normal” and all that is known. By breaking the cycle, life becomes much more meaningful. (by the way, I hope the prince was smart enough to marry the girl!). That being said, it is imperative that we look at what is working and what is not, and make sure we learn from mistakes and also glean from successes.
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I often learn so much from other’s experience. That is how we help each other to not make the same mistake. My day starts off with my morning devotions because that truly does shape your day. Thank you for sharing.
Packed full of great information here Norma, thanks! I totally agree, you must be willing to take 100% responsibility for your life before you can ever really effectively grow. Personal development programs often “don’t work” for people because people don’t work them!
There you go! Gotta take responsibility for our actions. Tell it like it is, Jennifer! (-_-)
Love all the information you shared here Ms. Norma! It truly amazing how many would rather complain than to find a solution. Teaching folks how to think and how to get things accomplished is essential which is why we’ve instilled those lessons early on in our children’s lives. No blame game allowed:) Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us all:)
Thanks, Dr Daisy. You are most welcome and happy that you enjoyed this article. Thanks for stopping by… ❥ Norma
Totally agree that a good action starts from changing our way of thinking, and so on and so forth. It’s always been inspiring to learn from another’s success.
It also gives us an advantage to learn & grow faster – for sure! Norma
What a great, inspired post! I’ve always told my kids to pay attention when I tell them about my experiences so they don’t make the same errors. I’m hoping they paid attention!
Tee-hee-hee! You’ll have to share this post with them… (-_-)
Norma, I’m not sure where to begin to comment. This is just so full of great nuggets of truth! I’ll suffice to say this…you are a leader, an inspiration and a blessing! I so greatly appreicate you and your mission for my wellness and success! The saying comes to mind, “the proof is in the pudding.” My friend you are certainly living proof of the message you send! Thank you!
Oh Carl… I so appreciate you. You bless my life!
Sincerely, Norma ♥
The best line for me: “We often don’t know we’re a crooked line til someone shows us a straight one”. Those who can learn both from their own and from others’ experience are indeed rare, and thereby priceless!
For sure, Ronae. Thanks for stopping by. Appreciate you! ♥
Norma
Great article, Norma. I love the quote by John Maxwell about how we are taught WHAT to think instead of HOW to think…so very true… Finding out who we are and what our true passion is, will allow us to be everything we were designed to be. Thanks for sharing!
Don’t you just love John Maxwell? I had the pleasure of meeting him when he was a speaker at my church… Blessings, Sue! ♥ Norma
I love this Norma! ”The best way to walk through a minefield is to follow in the footsteps of someone who has successfully crossed.” Great post!
Thanks Lori. Blessings! ♥ Norma
Great points shared here, Norma. My personal favorite is your note on the power of a testimonial. I always look for success stories and testimonies as proof something worked for others.
That’s certainly proof – word of mouth. Can’t be better than that! Blessings… ♥
Norma
Excellent post Norma….and so very true! I cannot count the many blessings I have received by learning from others mistakes. I just hope others can learn from me as well :)
I think it is best when we all learn from each other. No one knows the complete spectrum of truth… Blessings my friend! ♥ Norma
Love this Norma! I have found that investing in myself has truly made all the difference! By surrounding myself with those who can help teach me and lead me, I’m much further along than I would have been had I not invested in myself. It truly makes a difference!
For sure, JEN. Just the value of surrounding yourself with like-minded people is powerful. It’s a powerful investment. Blessings! ♥ Norma
Excellent article Norma! Being aware and alert to the experiences of those you trust can save so much of our valuable time! I think the key is to find someone you respect and trust. I find in my field of parenting what is mostly missing in parent’s relationships with their children is a solid foundation of trust on the part of the child that their parents are truly on their side. Of course there is a whole host of reasons for that…however the bottom line is when you trust someone completely you listen! Thanks!
Great insight Denny. If there is no trust there is nothing! Blessings… ♥ Norma
Thanks Norma, it’s good to get a shake up every now and again to remind me that things don’t have to stay the same, and that if I want them to change then I have to make the first move!
Don’t we all love being comfortable, right Tara? But that’s not where things happen…! lol! Gotta go for the changes, my friend. Blessings! ♥ Norma
Wow Norma. Once again a great article and very helpful. How can I learn from someone who doesn’t know?
Absolutely. We need to surround ourselves with those who have been where we are/were because they know where we’re going. Blessings! ♥ Norma
Such an excellent post, Norma!! I really love the quote about the minefield….so true! It really does help to have a guide leading us, doesn’t it?
So much value is found in having the right coaching. Thanks for visiting! Blessings. ♥ Norma
So inspiring, Norma. Than you for the reminder that we all constantly change and grow. All we have to do is believe!
We are already halfway there once we believe in ourselves. That`s powerfu! Blessings. ♥ Norma
Great post Norma! Absolutely! The best investment we can make is in ourselves! I feel like I am always a work in progress! Thank you so much for all the valuable tips!
Alexandra, when we stop growing, we slowly begin to die… truly believe that. x0x
enjoying your wisdome! reminds me to check in with myself more often and shift if necessary!!
great job!
Thanks, Patricia! Blessings. ♥ Norma
Sometimes I just need to remember I am ok just the way I am! That being said, our journey is never complete and these are great tips to make sure the momentum is mostly forward. Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by, Lorrie! Blessings. ♥ Norma
Thanks Norma for the reminder that we need to invest in ourselves. It is so important in order for us to grow and get better! Thanks!
Welcome Lori. Thanks for taking the time to comment. ♥ Norma
Brilliant post Norma! I agree: ” The best investment that you can make is in yourself.” Great info, thanks for sharing! Have a great day :)
Thank you, Anastasiya! Blessings to you. ♥ Norma
Norma, I wholeheartedly agree about investing in yourself! Many times you can tell those that do because they are just growing and finding the success they deserve. Great article!
You`re right. Those that do the work, it is very obvious. Character, integrity, etc… Blessings, Sarah! ♥ Norma
Norma, this is an excellent post! Someone else’s experience is the best teacher, love it! I’d much rather learn from what I’ve seen someone else do or hasn’t done for success and even those things that weren’t so successful!
Those that have waked the walk have way more credibility for sure. Blessings! ♥ Norma