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30 Things You Have to Experience to Understand

By November 20, 2011Culture

Some things you have to live to fully understand.

All my life I’ve heard the phrase, “You’d have to experience it to understand it”. The older I get the more I know that statement to be true about many things. I was reflecting recently about ways I’ve heard that statement used and ways it’s come true in my life. Some of these below I have experienced; some I haven’t. Some I hope to; some I hope I never will.

Here are 30 things you have to experience to understand

(in no particular order):

  • Meeting a payroll
  • The pain of divorce
  • Completing a degree
  • Skydiving
  • Becoming a parent/grandparent
  • Living by faith
  • Falling in love
  • The speed at which a child grows up
  • The pain of kidney stones…or having a baby
  • Going on a mission trip
  • Getting married
  • Receiving salvation
  • Driving on the Autobahn
  • Losing a job
  • Getting hired
  • Finally forgiving someone
  • Being elected to public office
  • Missing the last flight home
  • Experiencing unconditional love
  • Buying your first home
  • Retiring
  • Loss of a child
  • Caring for an elderly parent
  • A first kiss
  • Loss of a business
  • Battling depression
  • Working in customer service
  • Being rejected
  • Catching the game winning ball
  • Being in the middle of a war zone

For what have you heard (or lived) that phrase apply?

(This is a revised repost, with additions, after I heard this phrase again last week.)

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Ron Edmondson

Author Ron Edmondson

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Join the discussion 33 Comments

  • Erica Faraone
    Twitter:
    says:

    Living with invisible, chronic illness. Definitely something you have to experience to understand.

  • Corrie
    Twitter:
    says:

    Miscarriage

  • Kevin says:

    The "hearing His voice" comment is very true. I still remember clear as day the first time it happened for me – and changed me forever. The undeniable, powerful, "holy cow I can't believe that just happened" type of experience. Which then made it so much easier to hear Him in other ways and circumstances, and created a real, ongoing conversation.

  • Yvonne says:

    After reading the list, I must say I have lived and experienced. Thanks Ron for sharing. You give me great insight on a lot of days when I need it.

  • Charlene Woelk says:

    Being physically healed by God, and to feel something moving while its happening, way too cool
    being homeless

  • A. Amos Love says:

    Learning directly from Jesus.
    Revelation directly from Jesus.

    Deut 4:36
    Out of heaven he made thee *to hear His Voice,*
    that *He might instruct thee:*

    Hearing *His Voice.* – Knowing *His Voice.* – Obeying *His Voice.*

    Walking by F.A.I.T.H. NOT by sight.

    F.orsaking A.ll I. T.rust H.im…

  • Surviving the person with whom you're in love.
    The delirium that comes with dehydration.
    Adrenaline that comes with being in a life-threatening car accident.
    Certain words in other languages… like schön.
    Watching a special ed student get the answer right (and the class cheering him/her on).
    Watching a special ed student be beaten up.
    Situations in which you have absolutely no control.

    …just to name a few. I'm sure I could keep going.

  • Kicking an addiction.
    Tithing your last $100.
    Deep betryal.
    Forgivness.
    A miracle.

  • This kind of goes along with unconditional love… but I'd say being broken by God's love, or being witness to seeing someone (especially a close friend of family member) broken by God's love. It's probably one of the most beautiful things I've both experienced and witnessed.

  • tamaracorine says:

    Will second battling depression.
    But will also add "watching your family split apart" because being a child of divorce hurts just as much as divorce would, I imagine.

  • Thomas
    Twitter:
    says:

    Having been in the helping profession for many, many years, this is a statement that at times I do not like to hear. It is true, that first hand experience is the best, but it is also used as a reason to not reach out for help in troubling times. "It didn't happen to you, so you don't understand." This is so true, and to be perfectly honest, one of the worst things you can say in a counseling relationship is "I understand". It is better to say: "Please tell me more about your story, I want to understand it better." Nice post.

    • ronedmondson says:

      I have a degree in counseling and I remember them teaching us that. It changed the way I communicate with people in need. Thanks

  • Jim says:

    Seeing Jesus face to face. It blows me away to imagine what that will be like.

  • Heather says:

    Not experienced but heard:
    Battling an addiction
    Bankruptcy
    Spouse cheating

  • — Joy of running in the early morning
    — Failing in the examinations
    — Globe trotting
    — Scuba diving
    — Adventure trekking

  • John Edmondson Jr
    Twitter:
    says:

    Serving your country.

    Being deployed during the holidays.

    Being a military veteran.

    True JOY of the love of Jesus.

  • nikkithecrazyazn says:

    the adrenaline rush of getting a tattoo
    the joy of seeing a close friend come to Christ

    • ronedmondson says:

      Ha! I'll take your word for the first one 🙂 I've done the second one and totally agree.