I have learned many things from all aspects of my life, but I believe most of the lessons did not come from a textbook or a lecture from my parents; it came from the life I had to learn to live. Most of my life lessons came from being a preacher's kid.
The hardest lesson I was forced to learn was that my life was not just my life. My life was the church's life. They have a unique "possession" over my father. The head of my house is also the head of a church full of people who need him just like I do. My mother is his right, and left, hand. They need her too. They get my parents whenever they need them, no matter what we had planned or may have been doing. This lesson was not just to teach me that I could not always be the center of attention, but it was to teach me that people need people. Sometimes you have to go out of your way for the people you care about. That aspect of being a preacher's kid taught me that, as a Christian, we have to give of ourselves sometimes to help our brothers or sisters.
I had to learn how to live under a microscope and in a glass house. I had to learn how to prosper under the pressure of being the perfect example of a young Christian. My father is the pastor, and he is expected to be nothing less of perfect, so since I am his child, I had to follow that. I cannot be fake; I can not have secrets or hide anything; I have to be transparent. I am part of my father's ministry, and I have to carry that load. According to the congregation my daddy was pastoring at that time, I had to learn to talk, walk, act and dress according to their standards. Yes, this was annoying at times (I am not going to lie), but it taught me that once again, you go out of your way for the people you care about and respect.
Church was, and still is, my life. My life literally revolves around church. I am expected to be involved in every ministry possible. Every time the doors are open, I am supposed to be there. This just instilled the importance of being involved and "all in" to God in me.
Now the worst lesson of all was learning how to bite my tongue. You see, everyone doesn't always love their pastor or agree with what they say from the pulpit, but it is still my daddy. People run their mouth about my daddy. The talk trash about my daddy. They run my daddy and family's name in the dirt. They hurt my daddy, and they betray my daddy. They lie on him and lie to him. All through this, I have to sit back and maintain the "perfect preacher's kid" smile. I have seen my daddy forgive the people who were so undeserving of his forgiveness just because it was what was right to do. Then what do I have to do? Well, I want to punch them in the nose and tell them to kiss my big toe, but I cannot. I have to forgive and forget. I have to get over it. Being a preacher's kid has taught me that people are going to hurt you in ways that may seem unimaginable, but we, as Christians, should be able to forgive as quickly and genuinely as Christ. I have to forgive like my daddy does.
At times I have wondered why I had to live a life that seemed so difficult, but it has only taught me the best lessons. It has been a blessing in disguise. My life is not normal, but normal people do not have a father like mine. Normal people do not have a mother like mine. Normal people do not get to experience what I have. Normal people have not learned these lessons, personally, like I have.
I thank God for calling my father into the ministry. It has set me up for life, and it has created a better "me" than I could have ever created for myself.
