I remember growing up and going to school. In grade school, we had one teacher all year. Then came junior high and high school, where we changed classes every hour. After high school, I transitioned to college—each classroom was different, with a variety of teachers, subjects, styles, and experiences.
I also remember many of my Sunday School teachers. They helped lay the foundation of biblical learning in my life. It was in those classrooms where much of my spiritual knowledge was formed.
But learning didn’t stop when I left the classroom. It continues—in the workplace, in the church, and even in everyday public places. Life itself is a classroom. Many of us learn through hard knocks, like the man who was asked, “How did you learn to make good decisions?” He replied, “By making bad decisions!”
I have learned from those older than me—people who have been there and done that. But I have also learned from those younger than me, including my own kids and grandkids. Sometimes our children, in their simple honesty, teach us the deepest life lessons.
Proverbs 1:5 says, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” Scripture encourages us to be continual learners—not just in academics, but in life, faith, and service.
This principle is especially true in Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief (KYDR). Every response, every deployment, every team meeting is an opportunity to learn. We learn from those with more experience. We learn from the local church. We learn from the survivors we serve. And we learn from each other.
In KYDR, training is more than a requirement—it’s part of spiritual growth and discipleship. Every chainsaw cut, every mud-out, every meal served is also a moment of learning how to serve better, love deeper, and represent Christ more clearly.
Serving alongside others develops relationships which lead to sharing past experiences, lessons learned, skills taught, and victories celebrated. And as we stay in the scriptures, with our eyes and minds tuned to the Holy Spirit, He will continue to grow us, teach us, shape us, and make us more into what He chooses.
One of the things we often say in disaster relief is: be flexible, flexible, flexible. As long as we remain flexible, we can always be teachable.
So surround yourself with people of wisdom, knowledge, and experience—people willing to pour into others. That’s the kind of culture we want to foster in Disaster Relief. Because when we walk with the wise, we grow in wisdom. And when we keep learning, we keep serving well.
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