Amen! Brad! I like that a lot!
Blessings,
Pat Ferguson
At 12:01 AM 8/11/05, you wrote:
>"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude
>themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is
>like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has
>looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of
>person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of
>liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an
>effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does." -- James
>1:22-25
>
>Years ago before I had need for Braille and other blindness skills, I knew
>I would eventually have need for them and so sought out a proper training
>facility. I had gone to visit a facility in my state, spent a week in
>evaluation. I didn't really get much out of the first week, and
>so ignored the definition of insanity, that is, doing the same thing
>over and expecting different results. I had stayed on an additional week
>to see if that facility had any warm and fuzzies to come out of it as
>blindness training is concerned. It didn't. I then visited a facility in a
>neighboring state, one in which blind folks ran and taught along side some
>sighted teachers, and equality and motivation were a mainstay. I knew this
>was the place I needed. So I had tried to get my state to rehab me in the
>neighboring state as their facility was subordinate to the one I truly
>felt would help me. After much talks with counselors, meeting with a
>supervisor, meeting with the supervisor's supervisor to appeal and finally
>an administrative review. I did lose the battle and they would not help me
>rehab via this training facility which had a reputation of being "boot
>camp" for blind folks. I was really jazzed about the idea of going there
>and so I left my wife and kids and took residency in the neighboring state
>to achieve this training. One thing that motivated me was during the
>meeting with the counselor's supervisor's supervisor, he sat across from
>me and told me I didn't need Braille as I could yet read print. Obviously
>this man was a few brain cells short to think I wouldn't eventually need
>Braille with my deteriorating retina disease. What stood out to me so
>arrogantly, and motivated me all the more is he told me I didn't need it
>because "if you don't use it, you'll lose it". I very much despised this
>man because he was very arrogant and I was told he called himself "Rod,
>the rehab god". Hmmm, I'd rather be me anyway. Despite my dislike for him,
>he spoke a principle that is very true and in which has motivated me to
>keep up on my Braille over the years even though I do not use it for
>leisure reading, I do use it in my business and casual reading. The
>principle of "if you don't use it, you'll lose it" is not an idea coined
>or created by this man but can be seen in the above scripture. We're told
>that if we only hear the Word, and do not use it or put it to
>practical daily use, we forget what kind of a man we are. In other words
>by simple daily application of the Word, the precepts are engrained in us
>so we have no choice but to know who we are in Christ. Can you think of
>something you haven't done in years? Play an instrument, a song? Knit,
>crochet, work out a mathematical equation? For me it is spelling. I use to
>be a great speller but spell checkers and the speech have spoiled me so
>that I have need to actually think about how to spell certain words. I
>also use to sit and play some finger picking songs on the guitar while
>watching TV. I figured I'd never forget them because I played them over
>and over and over and over and over while watching TV at night. Today I
>can't even remember how they start. Back then I didn't even need to think
>about them while totally engrossed in a TV program while playing them. I
>can imagine this rehab person telling me that I don't need the Word
>because if I don't use it I'll lose it, and he'd be right. Along with
>putting faith to work is continually seeking to learn more. The word says
>to gain knowledge, acquire wisdom and in the acquiring get understanding.
>We don't stop seeking, reading, learning and doing just because we became
>a Christian, at least I hope that is not the case. But we do run across
>times in our life when we stagnate, become complacent in life, or too
>busy. All of which is a poor excuse to forget the Word of God and in truth
>is all the more reason to dig deeper. This is something I have realized
>recently in my own life and digging in, sure is refreshing and a breath of
>peace no Life Savor flavor can match in freshness. If you are finding
>yourself to be too busy, too caught up in other activities, too
>complacent, or just unmotivated, do yourself a favor and crack open the
>Word, look up, ask God for a new fresh desire for his Word, mean it, and
>begin reading. You, and those around you will be glad you did.
>
>Brad
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