teachable me

for the first time in many years, today was NOT my first day of school. no backpack, no snack packed, no new outfit, no jitters, no sleepless night before.  nope schooling is OVER and DONE. . .but is the teaching?

this is the spirit I have pondered for the past few days.  Dear friend LYDIA RICE sent an email regarding the new things she is doing in Peru, and how she "prays for a teachable spirit." WOW! That really made me think if my spirit was teachable or not. If you know me, you know that I have a set way of doing things.  It doesnt always make sense but its comfortable.  The EM I am is comfortable the way she is.  Change?  No thanks! You're going to correct me?? Tell me you're kidding.  Show me how to do it and I will smile and nod, and then do it my way.  WHY is that?? Wow we have really hit on something here, and I'm not sure if I like it!

So today I pondered that teachable spirit.  And at lunch I noticed a new waitress tagging along with an experienced waiter, and at WalMart of all the places, my cashier volunteered that today, was his first day! I said, first day? Really?  That must be challenging.  First days are always rough!  He said, "Yep, but its just one of those things everybody's got to go through." It sounded to me like he had a teachable spirit, a spirit willing and ready to learn. 

My new friend Barbara, introduced to me by those wonderful Ferris-es, said to me, "Life is always changing."  How true.  With change comes new things, (as discussed a few posts back) and with new things comes LEARNING.  No matter how old we are, let us never stop learning.  Me especially.  And even though I am not going to my first day of school with my lacy socks and a bow in my hair, I am pretty sure I am learning more now than I ever had.  Thank you to a God who never gives up on our capacity to learn, and Lord, please grant me a teachable spirit.