The Learning Place

I have a lady who helps me with my housework a few hours a week. We bartered a deal a couple of years ago, and it has worked well for both of us. I'm not always home when she comes, but yesterday afternoon, I was. I wandered into the kitchen where she was working and she looked at my little hydroponic winter garden. 

Admittedly, it is a very small winter garden, but it is what it is. The plant in the middle is celery and the plants on the ends are romaine lettuce. As she was cleaning the counter, she said, "I've been wanting to ask you about this stuff in the water. It's kind of an unusual centerpiece. Is that celery in there?" I laughed. "It is," I said. "I cut off the end of some celery and it's growing in the water. That's lettuce on the ends." She was shocked. "How did you make that celery grow like that?" she asked. "Oh, all I did was trimmed the bottom and stuck it in the water. God did the rest." She just shook her head.  "I didn't know you could do that. And lettuce. I can't believe you are growing lettuce like that." I explained that I usually wait for roots to form, then transfer the plants to soil in a pot. It will grow until I harvest it. 

"I have learned the most stuff coming to your house. There's always something to learn here," she said. I laughed, but I've thought about it quite a bit since then. It pleases me to think that my house is filled with learning and adventure. I enjoy learning new skills and new information, and I also enjoy teaching what I learn. Wouldn't it be wonderful, though, if my house was so filled with God that what people said about coming here is that they always learn something about Him when they come? 

I think the reason my housekeeper learns something so often is that there is usually tangible evidence of my latest learning endeavor for her to see. Tangible evidence... What would be the tangible evidence of my learning endeavors with God? That's not quite as easy. It won't be celery in a bowl, that's for sure. Perhaps what she needs to see is tangible evidence in me.

When people look at our lives, do they see tangible evidence of our learning adventure with God? Let's be sure they do, so they can enjoy the adventure of a lifetime, too.  

-------

The new book, The Waiting: When the Answer to Your Prayer is Delayed and Your Hope is Gone, as well as The Clay Papers and The Road to Bethlehem (an advent devotional guide) are now available at http://www.leannahollis.com/online-store/ Get your copy today.