Are You Learning the Language? Or Just Memorizing the Cover?

So I saw this lady at the gym yesterday. 

She was about 50 years old and was carrying this magnificently thick book underneath her arm. As she stepped up to the Eliptical, she placed the book on the stand in front of her and I was able to glance at the title:

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Italian"

Intrigued, I thought to myself, "Wow, what a productive way to spend your time at the gym!" (Leave it to me to think that being at the gym in itself isn't productive enough...)

I left the gym contemplating if I had the attention span to learn a language and run at the same time.....

This morning I returned to the gym. Again, the Italian-Learning Woman was there. 

As I ran my monotonous pace on the Treadmill, I noticed her moving from machine to machine...all the while, she toted her book along with her. Which looked like a workout all on its own! 

However, I noticed that at each machine, she set the book down in front of her, made sure it was properly balanced - and never opened it.

Not once. 

I thought to myself, "How can she learn Italian if she isn't going to open the book?" 

And with that thought, I began to contemplate how often I do the same thing myself. Not that I'm trying to learn Italian, but I am trying to read my own book: 

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Following God". (aka, the Bible)

I began to think how often I walk by that Book on my table and don't open it. 

How often I take it's words with me to work, but I don't act them out. 

How often I preach its words to others, but struggle to follow it myself. 

It's like I have the book with me all the time - but I just leave it on the stand. That by merely taking it along with me, I am going to learn what it says. That I am going to learn that Language. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. 

In the same way that the Italian-Learning Woman isn't going to actually learn Italian without opening it, I am not going to live the fullest life for God if I don't open my Idiot's Guide and follow what it says. 

Merely taking it to each machine with me and making sure everyone can see it isn't going to help anyone. Least of all myself. 

I'm gonna have to crack open the cover. 

Rearranging Squares

Last weekend I traveled down to Chicago with a friend of mine. He had a golf tournament and I wanted to visit some friends in the city. Well, while he was at his golf tournament, I stayed with his friend's wife and played with her and her two little girls. 

The oldest one, Allie, was playing a game, and her mother was calmly watching over her. Ready to give instruction and help when necessary. 

At about the time Allie hit Round Ten, I could see she was beginning to get tired out. Not physically, but mentally. She started to get frustrated over nothing and became anxious. She was on the verge of throwing the squares down and crying (keep in mind that she is four) when he mother patiently said, 

"Honey, what's wrong? You are doing just fine."

Allie, still frustrated, cried, "But Mom, what if I make the wrong choice?!" 

Ahh, Allie....how little she realized how loaded that statement was. 

I have to admit, I hate decisions. So when I heard this little four year-old get frustrated with the same thing, I started thinking about myself. I thought about how I have a hard time picking out what kind of gum I want. I take forever to order dinner at a restaurant - and don't even think to ask me what kind of ice cream to decide on! Sometimes, I want to throw down my squares and cry out in frustration. Heck, sometimes I do! 

So naturally, when I think about the BIG decisions in my life, I tend to feel a little bit like Allie.

What if I make the wrong choice? 

The thing I constantly forget, is that God is in the same room with me, and he's telling me the same thing Allie's mother told her, "What's wrong? You're doing just fine." 

You see, any decision I make can be for the glory of God. Any choice, and road I follow, God can use. The thing is, some results are easier to deal with than others. 

If Allie mixes the squares and makes a wrong choice, she must go back and fix it. Whereas if she puts them together - like the directions say - the first time, then she wouldn't have anything to fix. But honestly, can a four year old get everything right the first time? No.

The same holds true for us. We may have to go back and rearrange our squares to get the right colors, but it CAN be fixed. And we can't be expected to get it right everytime, because, like a four year old, we must learn what the correct answers are before we can be expected to make the right choice. 

But thank goodness God is there to help us figure out those answers. He's there to encourage us when we get one wrong. 

And he's there to help us rearrange the squares when we mix them up. 

"Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe." 

~ Proverbs 2:11