THE STUFF THAT HURTS IS THE STUFF THAT STICKS

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Posted by Mike Foster:

I’ve got A LOT to learn. And you probably do to.

But here’s the problem:

THE STUFF THAT HURTS IS THE STUFF THAT STICKS.

It is through my pain and mistakes that I actually retain anything. I hate this but it seems to be the only place where my arrogant and self assured self can learn. All other learning methods are doubtful or short term in nature.

But pain is a different sort of teacher. It’s very hard to forget the lessons that she teaches. She is cruel and unrelenting but at least I walk away with something that made me stronger.

And whether I liked the process or not, it sticks.

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http://baylormum.blogspot.com Shellie (baylormum)

I think as we grow in our walks, we gain a little wisdom along the way. Some of it sticks, too! It’s with these new tools that I can deal with that painful crap that haunts me. I can put some things on the back burner & deal with the more pressing things in life. What I learn each day is that I can only take care of so much in that day. There’s always tomorrow. And I don’t mean that I procrastinate (well, I do, but that’s another topic), I just literally can’t do it all in that day. As long as I’m giving it my best effort, I have to learn that’s enough. There’s always going to be that sticky situation I’d rather not deal with, but I can do it. And I don’t have to carry that burden all by myself.
http://togetherforgood.wordpress.com Erin

I sometimes think that God must get tired of knocking me off my pedestal into a place of humility (and often shame) so that I can learn the lessons He desires to teach me. If only I could remember to keep myself humble.
http://highcallingblogs.com/about/marcus-goodyear Marcus Goodyear

Came via @KathleenOverby’s tweet. In writing and speaking, this means we have to tell stories that come from pain. The audience will share our pain–if we do our job right–and remember.

The trick of grace, I suppose, is to grow out of our pain without holding onto it and letting it get in the way of our relationships with others and with God.
Steve Helderle

Mike you are right on with this one! I try to learn from all my experiences, but the times that really stick, are the times I really screwed up. The fact that we do learn from our mistakes is a good thing, at least we learned and hopefully we won’t make those same mistakes again! What I would really like is to be able to learn from other peoples mistakes. I see other people make mistakes but only learn after I make that same mistake myself. That one really bothers me!!!
http://www.cusswords.net Steve Cuss

Thanks for the reminder, Mike – I wish it wasn’t true, but it is so true. Ever read “Pain, the Gift Nobody Wants” by Phil Yancey and Paul Brand? Paul Brand was a famous leprosy surgeon and wrote about what a lack of pain response does to the body and how leprosy patients crave pain because it protects. Yancey and Brand discuss the western world’s pain aversion and how it is killing us. Quite the profound book
.-= Steve Cuss´s last blog ..Honest Questions for Honest Atheists =-.
http://www.ubervu.com/conversations/www.potsc.com/uncategorized/the-stuff-that-hurts-is-the-stuff-that-sticks/ uberVU – social comments

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Mike Foster

@shellie certainly lots of different ways to learn.

@erin humility is certainly key isnt it?

@marcus i think telling stories out of pain is a great strategy for life and leadrship.

@steve h. i wish i could learn from others mistakes…unfortunately too often i make them myself..and then it sticks

@steve cuss i havent read it but I LOVE THAT. im totally buying that one. here i come Amazon.com
Jonathan Griffiths

I needed to read this today. Timely and true – thanks Mike!
http://www.j4man.wordpress.com Jim

I kind of think of that this way. I can pretty much tell you how I got each one of the scars I have on my body. Why? Where there is a scar there. And why is that importatnt? Because if there is a scar there was/is pain and hurt and we remember when we have had pain and hurt.

I have been through some painful things in life and they are seared into my brain but the happy times – seared is not a word I would use.

Thanks for the thought and reminder!
.-= Jim´s last blog ..Type of Doubt – part 1 =-.
Mike Foster

@jonathan awesome!

@jim thats a great thot jim. i always say scars are a sign that we survived something. so show them off!
Mary Crawford

The best lessons learned hurt the most. It’s so true. Like a little kid who puts their hand on a hot stove. Won’t do that again. Why? It hurt.
Rachel Handley

I think that God uses that pain to draw us closer to Him. In my most painful times I have found that that is when I draw closer to God. We all also ought to remember that it is temporary because we live in a temporal world. Easier said than done I know. I’m also remembering a sermon that Marty Dunbar gave one Sunday in which he said that we can’t walk with someone through their pain unless we ourselves have been through pain.
http://www.sarahcunningham.org Sarah

I feel this one, bro. Pain is the teacher who corrects us when we outrun our protection, ay?
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Mindcontrolled Momma: The Emperor Strikes Again =-.
http://synapticlight.com Phillip Gibb

stick they do; scars and all. Fortunately when God teaches a painful lesson it mould you and does not scar you.
.-= Phillip Gibb´s last blog ..What’s so Hot about Nuke? =-.

Jan 20