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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Teachable...


This week our *almost 18 month old* decided naps were a thing of the past.  As in tried to drop ALL of her naps… what 18 month old does that?  The thing is, as her mama, I know that she needs a nap.  Desperately.  
 I think about how often I resist the everything I need most- 
instruction… 
to be teachable.
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Before we moved this summer I started looking for another mother's day out job.  One of the jobs I applied for had the   l   o   n   g   e   s   t   application that I have ever filled out.  Not exaggerating- full-time jobs, college applications etc… and the part-time preschool job takes the cake.  
One of the questions on this said application was

How do you describe a person who has a “teachable spirit?” How close do you think you come to that description? How do your respond to constructive criticism?

Cue gut punch.  Immediately Andrew knew by the look on my face that I had reached an especially difficult question.  Then he read it and laughed… he knows me all too well.  

See, this is not my strong suite.  Let me teach people and lead all day- but have some one else tell me what to do?  To listen to how I can do things better?  I struggle with this.  

And how do you even answer this on a job application with integrity- "I think this is important and I am ahem… working on it."

Little did I know when I came across this question on the job application that God was actually beginning to refine my heart in this area.  I was reading through Proverbs and came across these verses…


Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. Proverbs 19:20

A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind. Proverbs 18:2

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. Proverbs 12:15


The Word lead me right to the importance of being teachable.  I mean really, it calls us fools (really, me a fool) for not being teachable.  

I recently started a new job (ironically not the one with the super long job application- that is 5 hours of my life I will never get back).  And even in this new job God has put me in a place again where I don't get to lead, that someone else is leading me and teaching me.  And  have had to swallow my pride and say 

No, I don't know it all.
Yes, I am teachable.

What about you?  Are you teachable?  Have you ever struggled with this?

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6 comments:

  1. Awesome. When I think about it there are teachable moments everywhere.

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    1. They really are… and it is about being open to them! :)

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  2. A million times yes!!! The thing is, I really do love learning. And I'm always interested to know how to do things better. BUT only when it's with a dash of pride. As in, I think I'm already pretty darn awesome at this one thing, but I would like to know more b/c there's always room for improvement, right? Eek! Ugly, but true! If I truly feel out of my depths at something, I retreat or get defensive or give up. This can make it difficult to take leaps of faith! Something we can all work on, I'm sure! Thanks for sharing! :)

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    1. You described to so clearly, I want to learn, but not without a dash of pride! I think I need to add my 2 cents to everything!
      Also, Grayson's 11 month pictures, so cute! I can't believe he is almost a year old!

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  3. I would struggle with that question too. Yet we need to be teachable. I love to teach yet I struggle with being told I'm wrong. This really made me think.

    Thanks so much for sharing these scriptures (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).

    Wishing you a lovely weekend.
    xoxo

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    1. Thanks Jenifer for coming by… I always like linking up at the shine blog hop!:)

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