My Last 50 Years

In the film "The Natural" Glenn Close's character talks about the idea that each of us has two lives, "The one we learn with, and the one we live with after that." It's an intriguing concept, and I could find myself tempted to say that my first 50 years were the life I learned with since (I hope) I've picked up a thing or two along the way. But it bothers me that, beneath the surface of that well crafted line, there is the implication that at some point the learning stops and the living begins. I am convinced beyond all doubt that after 50 years I still do not know enough to leave learning behind.



This is only common sense, since the world marches on around us with advancing technologies and new discoveries; and to assume no further learning is required beyond that which we have achieved at some particular point in time condemns us to life in the past. There are few if any occupations that do not require some form of continuing education to "stay current". The necessity for this sort of learning could possibly diminish at "retirement", but even then there are still things like learning a better golf swing, or where the best fishing spots are.



That being said though, there is a very real and important sense in which that two lives concept is very appropriate. We are given one life, this time on Earth, to learn about God and to prepare for the life we will live in eternity to come. Viewed in this light, the learning time is infinitesimally small compared with the living time. God is so big, and our time to learn about Him and get to know Him is so small; every second is precious. So many times we choose to put off this study with the best of intentions to get around to it "someday".



It reminds me of late nights at college, desperately cramming for exams. It would have been much less stressful to have studied throughout the course and thereby been prepared when the exam time rolled around (as we all knew it would). But there was always something else to spend those hours on and besides, we were there for the "collegiate experience", a convenient term for fun stuff that had not even the slightest thing to do with the education we were pledging great chunks of our future incomes to acquire. If you were really good (or lucky) you could (usually) get away with it.



That course of action just won't work when it comes to God. First of all we don't know when the exams are scheduled. The little ones, the "pop quizzes" seem to always come when we are least prepared; and as for the final, that could be only an unobserved bus away...



We can never know all of God, but we certainly can (and should) learn enough to be able to recognize Him when we see Him, both in this life and in the one to come. Talking to God, listening to Him, and studying His Word are not extra curricular activities in this life. Prayer, meditation, and Bible study are the foundational elements at the core of the curriculum. They are the essential tools necessary to adequately prepare ourselves for the life we'll live... with Him.



Don't squander this learning life while intending to cram like mad the night before the final. Only God knows the exam schedule and for this course, there are no repeats.