27 Lessons To Learn From 27 Years

Twenty-seven. Such an odd number. Odd, that you may see its quantity inferior to yours.

But I’m always after quality, and I believe that you do not have to wait for gray hairs before gaining wisdom from learning great things in life. Each season of our lives has something to teach us if we will only learn to appreciate them.

I may have lesser years to count than yours on this planet, but I am just so much thankful not to express how those brief years which I have never noticed passing so fast, are now just memories and lessons to keep. So for the record, here are the odd twenty-seven things that I have learned from the twenty-seven years of my existence:

One. One odd, first day of August, I graced the planet Earth.

1. What happens early marks deeply.

2. You may be born as dark as the evening, but wait, until you rise and shine like the morning! 😀

Three. Three years have I spent in the seminary and those had the biggest impact in my life.

3. The world does not revolve around you so it’s definitely selfish to demand others to adjust for you.

4. I’ve learned to agree that English is a language and not a measure of someone’s intelligence.

Five. Five times have I convinced my self to enrol the same course until I finished College. And it was all by God’s grace that I did.

5. Make promises. They will help you learn what commitment is all about.

6. People come and go. So train your heart to be like an apartment of memories – very hospitable to welcome changes, willing to let go, never chase those who do not want to stay, and most of all, be very careful whom you let in.

Seven. Seven years have passed since I made the bravest confession that I, finally believe Christ as my Savior.

7. Life is totally different from all the movies you’ve watched and wished to come true. Live it your best anyway. Yours could be that unwritten story on-process which you’d be proud to read someday.

8. It’s okay to be weird and different. You don’t have to fit in to be loved. The world was never vocal to admit that uniqueness is beautiful and that it catches the heart.

Nine. Nine O’clock in the morning, every single day, I was given the privilege to teach children and to change lives.

9. Be thankful for being shallow – for loving the rain, for crying easily, for loving the trees mostly when they’re leafless, for laughing at anything, for being touched by letters, for appreciating small efforts, for loving people easily, and for all those things that made you weak – because they all made you more human, more existing. They all made your short journey on this planet more enjoyable.

10. Most likely, the ones you would make the best friendships with are those who were once, strangers to you. And you are more likely to love those whom you never expected to.

Eleven. Eleven pieces of artworks and paintings have I dyingly insisted to finish  and keep ever since I bought the idea, or maybe a fantasy, that I’m a painter. Credits to the rainy days.

11. When you’re a lady, your dad and your brothers will affect how you see and look at men. And sometimes, you have to admit that you have been skeptical and you’ve judged them wrong.

12. Expectation is NOT the root of all heartaches, unrealistic expectations are.

Thirteen. Thirteen heart-breaking “No” answers have I received from God that made me understand that He truly knows what’s best.

13. Your favorite desserts, color, songs, books, clothes, and such things that you find so beautiful are just so disgusting and irritating to others. You just have to respect individual differences by then.

14. Saying sorry is so much easier than you thought it was compared to letting pride steal your joy,  destroy your relationships, make you sleepless, leaving you miserable.

Fifteen. I was fifteen when I finally come to my senses that I wanted to study like a real student. And that’s when having a crush is a great motivation for a latebloomer.

15. Intelligence, honesty, kindness, purity, faithfulness, genuineness – they are now more appealing to you by this time than beautiful faces.

16. The real thing is that, even though words matter that much to you, their weight and impact always depend on how reliable the speaker is.

Seventeen. Seventeen years did the world of bookworms awaited before I finally arrived to be their resident.

17. Love and appreciate people who are not afraid to tell you you’re wrong. They are the ones who really care. They are the kind of people who will be true to you, the ones who will do good to you, even if you will never find it out.

18. It’s not a good idea that “Eighteen” is an age when you can legally allow yourself to have a boyfriend just because you’re eighteen. You’ll only realize that it is much more delightful to determine to yourself to give your yes to only one man, the first and the last person to have your heart firsthand.

Nineteen. Nineteen worldly songs, which I used to keep, have I totally agreed to put away since the day that I have consecrated my voice to be only for my God.

19. Silence is an attribute of the wise and the strong.

20. Modesty is actually not something to be ashamed but to be proud about. Simply because you know that you have finally come to a point where people’s opinion matters so little than winning God’s smile. And that’s liberating!

Twenty-one. Twenty-one skirts (a hyperbole) did replace my pants when I was twenty-one and modesty had finally made an appeal to me.

21. Be prepared to be left alone when you choose to walk the right path, when you stand for your convictions, and when you pursue purity. Don’t worry, being alone is different from being lonely.

22. Singleness is actually the best stage where you can fully appreciate freedom, learn new things, practice patience, develop new friendships, spoil yourself with books and travels, improve your skills and talents, join unlimited camps, experience the thrill of making choices, and the surprise of finally, being found.

Twenty-three. Twenty-three inhale and exhale deep sighs did I make before I was finally able to tell my parents that right after graduating college, I will surrender my life and enter the seminary.

23.The best decision you can ever make is to surrender your life to God. The best profession you can ever pursue is being His servant. And the best salary you can ever have is a fulfilled and worth it life.

24. You will make mistakes. Terrible ones you never thought you’d do. Never dwell there. Fall seven times; rise up eight!

Twenty-five. Twenty-five knock-downs of failure had not made me knocked out. I rose up twenty-six, for the battle belongs to the Lord. Grace alone!

25. Your twenty-fifth Birthday will finally make it sink-in to you that you are no longer a teen, and that you are to face the world in a more realistic view – that life is not a fairytale and you ought to start making your dreams a reality – or you’ll waste another twenty-five years wondering why you never started any day before.

26. Your mom and dad are not actually boring if you’ll only give them a chance to be your friend and remember that they are as imperfect as you are.

Twenty-seven. Twenty-seven, I thought before, was my ideal age for marriage. But maybe life is not about a set of deadlines. You can get married anytime. It’s a choice. But life has taught me to always choose God’s choice.

27. Be thankful for where you are right now. Never rush things to pass or to come. Cherish every moment that God has allowed you to have, every place where God allowed you to be in, every people whom God allowed you to be with, every task which God allowed you to do. All of them are once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience.

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My twenty-eighth is still on process. It’s actually hard to limit life’s lessons in that odd number. Life has endless lessons to teach. But I hope you don’t just endured but enjoyed reading my odd-twenty-seven list of things which life has taught me. You may leave a comment on how this article has blessed you, react on which number you relate with the most, or perhaps, share even those things you have learned which could bless others too. I would be really glad to know and read them. God bless your years of existence!

And P.S: Do not count each day of your life; make each day of your life count instead.

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