North of Normal | The blog of Byron Bledsoe

Lessons From ‘07 – Part 2

Posted on December 30th, 2007.

I’ll wrap this up tomorrow (although I could take much longer…). I’m exhausted – we just got back from Daytona Beach (we love the Plaza Resort). It was great to get away for a few days. I love the ocean… I find peacefulness even in the crash of waves. Here are a few more things I’ve learned in ‘07:

There are very few people who will love you enough to overlook your weaknesses. When you’re a pastor, many people love their idea of you, but not the real you. So, when you bust that idea, love goes musty…
When you relentlessly pursue God’s purpose for your life, there will be great opposition and pain. It will get worse before it gets better. If you have the courage to walk through it, you will journey into a new place.
I don’t know much. With every year that passes, I have more questions than answers. But, here’s the deal. I love questions!!! They are the one tool that can lead you to some solutions. They also cause you to face reality, and how to get from what is to what if.
When Jesus said that to follow him meant to take up a cross, he meant it.
Seeing God change lives is worth every single thing you have to give up.
To embrace the future, you have to let go of the past.
If we are building a church who’s future is to reach lost people, if we don’t reach them, we have no future.
You really can sense the greatest peace in the midst of the greatest turmoil.
If something burns inside you, that knowing of what you are born to do – to chase it brings life, to run from it brings living death.
You can influence people who “disagree” with you in a positive way. In our focus to transition to make a greater impact, many who’ve bolted have had to think through and face the reality that they really weren’t reaching people. Some have now become more intentional in thinking of “others” – this is a win for the kingdom.