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.