Back Story 3

Schooling vs. Learning

No doubt the fact that I liked school helped me survive the obstacle course institutional education puts in the way of learning. I was a good student, but more than that, I liked learning. When all you know is schooling for most of your conscious existence, it is hard to realize that the most vital challenges for your mind are not the ones offered to you by teachers following lesson plans.

Some other part of me was always trying to make school more like learning. I tried to work smart doing homework. I liked putting creative effort into stodgy assignments. Long before I knew DayTimer or Franklin Covey existed—maybe even before they did exist for all I know—I bought a 5.5 x 8 inch binder, for all my school notes, thus initiating an ongoing search to keep the odd sized paper available for when I’d need it. In college, I read extra books that weren’t assignments, took harp lessons “just for fun” and started a habit of studying the Bible using an amazing little book published by Intervarsity Press called, Decide for Yourself by Gordon Lewis (still available, by the way).

A Different Bible View

The book evenhandedly summarized various theological positions, presented pertinent Bible verses about the topics, and provided the opportunity to assess which position, if any, aligned most closely with the biblical one. That and other studies made it clear to both my husband and me that the Bible was not as obtuse, bigoted, nor irrelevant as it had often been billed. Sometimes it was funny, other times passionate, often strikingly nuanced, refreshingly practical, always substantial.

It became one of the ready reference books for life: the Joy of Cooking for any cooking questions; the Reader’s Digest Book of Home Maintenance (along with a tender, thoughtful gift from my husband, the You Don’t Need a Man to Fix It book) for home problems—and for finally figuring out how electricity works and how water gets to the second floor of a house—something overlooked in school lessons; the Bible for just about everything else.

It turned out that time was pretty important in the Bible—and roles, life priorities, motives, ambitions, plans, family relationships, finances, children, love, work ethic, spousal needs—everything I’d thought was important about home and a whole lot more. Stepping across the threshold into a biblical home opened up the world, the mind, and eternity. Here was a work environment worthy of best practices, an executive career worthy of the investment, a product matched by no other—and the Boss? Unsurpassed in every way. No superlative super enough. Brilliant Mind. Pure Spirit. Unlimited Resources.

And He was willing to show me how to build a home.

Priceless.