A surprise love of learning

I like to learn.

I have found that out about myself in the last few years. I was always good at school, but I honestly think that most of that was more due to my ability to memorize facts and not that I'm smarter than people who don't get straight As. I got better grades that my husband, but he is definitely smarter than me --- I just applied myself.

I didn't particularly enjoy school. I liked some of my classes, especially my writing classes in college, but I always knew that I had no desire to continue my education past a bachelor's degree. It just didn't seem worth it, and I certainly didn't want to spend any more time or money on schooling.

With my last job, though, I was constantly learning. I worked in the environmental field, something that was completely foreign to me, and I came home with new tidbits every day. I was excited when I found out something new that I could tuck away and use for conversation later or that I could share with other people who would care --- and sometimes those that didn't.

Now that I'm not working, I've discovered that I still have a desire to continue learning.

A friend that led our small group at our former church inspired my husband and I to look into reading biblical commentaries. We also have a radio talk show host that wrote some biblical commentaries that we wanted to look into.

It turns out, we have loved them.

I love digging deeper into verses and books of the Bible that I thought I knew so well and learning what the original text is literally translated as, what the culture of that time was like, how there is so much more meaning buried in every sentence that what I thought when I just read lines quickly to check off my Bible reading for that day.

Then I read a book on apologetics --- basically how to discuss the Bible and how to back up what I believe in. I'm pretty sure that I will have to read that book many more times.

Each time I read a book, I put another on the list that I want to read. Plus, I get excited about being able to share tidbits about what I've learned with others, just like the way I got to share nature tidbits from my last job.

I've realized that my love for learning has been fulfilled by delving deeper into the Word of God, and that makes me really glad that we are blessed enough that I am able to not work right now. Without working, I've been able to dig into a study area that's even more important than the environment --- my relationship with the creator of the environment, the creator of nature, the creator of the universe.

And there's so much more to learn.