I am home now from my trip to Costa Rica, filled with fun memories of both beautiful places and warm people. My son and I had a great time together learning Spanish, rappelling down waterfalls, river rafting the Rio Pacuare and even trying to learn to kayak.
When I got back to church on Sunday, everybody kept asking me if I had "learned" Spanish. The answer is a clear, firm "yes". And "no". After five weeks "in country" and in intensive classes, I now "know" quite a bit of Spanish. I have learned conjugations for three past tenses, present tense and a future tense. I even know the differences between the two different forms of "to be" and "for". But, using it...well, it's still pretty rough. Even though I know what to say, I can't always say it, at least not correctly. I just need more and more practice.
And then there is the matter of actually understanding people. Again, more practice.
Somebody who is pretty well versed in languages asked me, "Are you dreaming in Spanish, yet?" I said, "Oh I am dreaming ABOUT Spanish (like I used to dream about Trigonometry in High School and Greek in Seminary), but I am not dreaming IN Spanish, yet." She replied, "Well, once you are dreaming in Spanish, then you will know you are on your way."
There is a long way from "knowing" to "being". The road is through "practice." Jesus said a very similar thing about his teachings, "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them." (John 13:17).
It is very possible to know either a language or "the truth that will set you free" and still not be very "blessed" (or much of a blessing). At least until you moving from "knowing" to "being", via "doing."
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