I have been thinking about my granny and the wise, old sayings she used to come out with, some of which I still remember. One of her favourites was “A thing well learned is never forgotten.” I believe there’s a lot of truth in that. Mind you, you have to learn it well.
I’m glad I learned to swim at an early age. We didn’t have a swimming pool at Felixstowe when I was young, so I had to learn in the sea. I took my quarter mile and second class proficiency in the sea and I have certificates to prove it! Similarly, I learned to ride a bicycle about the same age and that has served me well. I went everywhere on my bike, till I was in my 60’s. But time has caught up with me and confidence has wavered. However, I do think both these skills were well-learned, so I’m pretty sure I could swim if I needed to do so, and I could ‘cycle up the road if necessary.
I am glad and grateful that I was introduced to God’s Word and saying prayers, at an early age. Over the years I have ‘soaked up’ more and more about God’s love for us. Those early seeds were well sown. There have been lapses, times when I have not used my knowledge of God and his love as well as I could have done. But I have returned to my walk of faith because it has been part of my life’s experience, well learned and never forgotten.
Maybe you are thinking you never had that grounding in faith in the first place, so how can you return to it? The fact is, as long as you live, it is never too late to start out… learning to swim, learning to ride a bike and learning about God and His love for you. Once learned, you will never forget.
Karl Barth, one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century, was asked what he considered the most profound theological truth he had taught in all his years of advanced academic pursuit. After a pause, he replied,
“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
With love, Mary R.
