986 days. That is how long it has been since I last posted on this blog. Since then a lot has happened, and I initially started the blog for a class project, but still, 986 days. Wow.
My excuse? I didn’t have anything to write about. That was seriously what I told myself long enough that I eventually forgot the blog had existed or why I loved writing it in the first place. Worst of all is that the excuse was a lie. One of my most prominent life mottos is “Learn something new every day” and throughout the course of the past few years I have ventured to do just that. So nothing to write about, especially when the prompt is what is God teaching me? Ridiculous.
We adults aren’t the only ones who do this. Think of any kids coming home from school or being picked up from Sunday School being asked, “What did you learn today?” 99% of the time, the answer is, “Nothing,” or, “I don’t know.” If that were true, we would have a lot fewer people graduating high school or college.
I remember one particular day in which my wife and I had just taught a big, important lesson on God’s grace and the meaning of the cross using the scapegoat as the primary story. The children had decorated goats and written the sins they needed forgiveness for on the back. They then left them taped to a cross on the wall, being told they would never see them again.
One older elementary boy brought his father back to view the artistic work he had done for his goat. At this point, I decided to make sure there would not be an “I don’t know” on the car ride home. I asked the child, “And what does the goat mean?” He launched into a rough telling of the story, ending with his father filling in the word “scapegoat.” This mesmerized the boy, that his father would know such a word, and sparked a conversation as they walked off.
As I think about that story, I realize that the question is vitally important to getting an answer worth listening to. Maybe smaller questions are key, “What story did you talk about today?” Perhaps language is important, “What is something new you heard?” Or it could be taking the pressure off, “Did your teacher say anything new this week?” Whatever the new route is, what is ultimately important is that we know how we can answer that question. If we aren’t learning something new, through reading, listening, or experiences, then are we doing what is truly important?
So, with this in mind I am relaunching my blog and launching a new one, Hymnological Journey. I will be posting here every Monday and in the other on Fridays. My hope is to share what I’m learning, what experiences I’ve had, or new ideas I’ve heard that God is using to shape my life, my family, and my calling.
Pax,
-Paul Hart Cochran