Some Folks Never Learn – So Just Say, “I told you so!”

Ed, my neighbor next door, has had a busy time lately, saying that I never learn. We traded our one car only to have Ed voicing his opinion that I never learn. My problem, according to Ed is that, I traded my car at this time of year. I would have gotten a better deal in January or even at Christmas. When I said that I wasn’t ready to trade my car earlier, he said that’s the point, some people never learn the best time to do things.

Ed also likes to tell me, “I told you so!” I was telling Ed that I was looking up hymn lyrics on the internet and there was an advertisement for learning how to sing better. It is voice lessons right from my computer. I told Ed that I was thinking about taking those lessons. Ed was against it, just as if, I was using his money for the voice lessons. He reminded me that, I was taking violin lessons when I first moved next door. It is Ed’s opinion that those lessons were a waste of time and money he says that I never got any better at the violin. Ed told me that at my age, I must be running out of breath, and that my voice shouldn’t be used for singing. His final comment was, “If you take voice lessons, you’ll waste your money, and I’ll say that I told you so.
Ed, sure knows how to play on my fears of inadequacy and self-doubt. Is singing something a person can learn to do or is it all a matter of natural talent? Is there a fine line between ability and practice? I hope that if you can sing a little, that with the right kind of practice and instruction, it will become better.
I try to live by making decisions on faith not fear. ‘What-ifs,’ never end and not everything turns out for the best, but I think it is better to try something than do nothing. I try new things trusting that God can bless my attempts to learn.
It has been said that fear is the number one tool used by Satan to keep us from being in God’s will, and growing in the fullness of life that could be ours. Everyone faces real fears like job loss, results of health tests that could mean cancer or some other serious issue. God would have us face our fears with the truth of his word. The Bible says, “Fear not, for I am with you.” Fear is less powerful when we remember God loves us. Like a loving parent, he will not leave us or forsake us. Unlike our earthly parents, God has everything we need. He never sleeps and promises to help us through our fears and difficulties.
Fear is dissolved in God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. We remember those who trusted God. Daniel probably went into the lion’s den with fear but came out without a scratch. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego must have felt fear facing the fiery furnace. They trusted God in their fear and didn’t even smell of smoke when they came out of the furnace unharmed. God is always greater than our fear.

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