The Curious Believer

Are you a visual person? Do you learn more from what you see, or does retention of information work best when you hear it? Perhaps experience is your preferred method of education while attending the proverbial school of hard knocks. We are all different in how we learn something new. I would like to take a moment to tell you about some of mine.

Much of what I have learned in life comes from the many questions I often ask the Father. There is no question that I have asked that He has not provided the answer for – as long as I have the capacity to receive it. That answer often comes in the form of direct dialogue. Other times it may happen while listening to a message being delivered by any of the teachers I follow, or my own Pastor. However, the most preferred and undoubtedly the most effective would be meditation. There is literally not enough time in a day or even in a lifetime to truly learn everything there is to know about life, but taking advantage of every moment has afforded me the opportunity to learn a thing or two.

Learning from The Most High is an experience like no other. The very thought that the creator of all things not only chooses to engage in conversation with me but actually desires it can be an overwhelming concept by itself. Talking with God is one of many ways that I grow and develop my relationship with Him. There are many relationships that exist over the course of one’s life, but having the One that knows all and sees all is an advantage that I absolutely refuse to be without. With every question asked, I have learned to set my expectation to be astonished and amazed as I listen and receive the most profound wisdom, insight, and knowledge that may not even exist in the pages of a book.

While a relationship with The Creator is indeed important, it is necessary to remember that He is also a Being of order and structure. Which is to say while He desires direct conversation there is also a great opportunity to learn at the level where I exist. Meaning as a human I can learn from other humans. Specifically those who have more knowledge of life, more experience living life, and certainly more wisdom living life than me. This particular channel of learning is easy when it is set within a formal structure such as a pastor, or teacher, or even a parent. Where it becomes a challenge for many is when the one standing in the position of teacher is at an age that is less than that of the student. However, I have learned by “experience” that just because you have existed longer doesn’t always mean a clear and present advantage. Respecting the knowledge of the one who possesses it when I do not has proven to be exceedingly beneficial in my life (like the time I was reading a comment on something I posted on social media and had to call my niece to translate the entire statement). Bottom line is I have learned to retain the role of a student whenever the need presents itself.

Asking a direct question and sitting as a student are great channels for obtaining insight, but they cannot complete the learning circle without meditation. Spending time meditating helps me to see myself in a certain place or performing a specific action without ever having actually experienced it. It allows me to think heavily on a subject and deconstruct it so that I can literally see every moving part and determine its relationship to the other parts – opening the pathway to complete and total understanding. This level of dwelling on a subject creates the actual experience for me without ever having to be physically present. I can imagine myself driving a certain vehicle or see myself walking along the sidewalk of a certain city I may have a desire to visit one day. Using my imagination in this fashion creates that experience, which feeds the desire, which in turn creates a paradigm that guides my actions and eventually manifests that answer or desire in my life.

Learning is a never ending adventure that you can embark on at anytime throughout your day. Each new morning should ignite in you the same level of curiosity that exists in a newborn child. There is still so much to learn, so much undiscovered. I encourage you to take every opportunity you can to learn something new.