Lessons Learned in 25 Years

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This week, twenty-five years ago, Carla and I arrived onboard the Anastasis in New Zealand. A question I’ve been asking myself is what did I lean along the way? Here are the top 25 things I have learned since we joined Mercy Ships in no particular order:

  1. It pays to trust God, he is faithful.
  2. Obedience to the Lord is costly.
  3. Your family is your ministry.
  4. When the enemy is unable to impede you, he attacks your family.
  5. Accountability is one of the greatest tools at our disposal.
  6. Treat those working under you fairly; they may become your boss one day.
  7. Sometimes it is important to fight for your rights.
  8. Other times getting what you think is your right does not matter a hill of beans in the long run.
  9. Get your relationships right; unresolved relationship issues have a tendency to hurt you down the road.
  10. In the pursuit of perfection leave room for mistakes.
  11. Correction is good; it helps to bring us back on course.
  12. People have a tendency to forget the things you do right, but remember the things you did wrong.
  13. Always believe the best in people.
  14. Everyone deserves a second chance; even you.
  15. God put me where I’m to love people and own things, not to own people and love things.
  16. I don’t have staff working for me, but co-workers laboring in the same field.
  17. Resting is the most important thing to do when you are tired.
  18. I can not add a single minute to a 24 hours day.
  19. Worship restores spirit, soul and body.
  20. Personal devotion time is one of the cornerstones of ministry.
  21. Repentance needs to be a daily habit in my life.
  22. Forgiveness is a sign of maturity, not a weakness.
  23. The most exiting place to be is where the Lord called you.
  24. If you have been called by God to a place stay there until he tells otherwise
  25. I am not irreplaceable.

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