Learning God's Language

Language, the first thought is the one we speak. English, because I live in an English speaking country. My husband is retired from the Air Force. We moved 12 times in 21 years. Within our moves we were in the midwest, northeast, west coast, and the south. We lived in terrains of forest, deserts, mountains, flat lands, and the coast. Each and every place we lived had it's own language.

Within our language there are accents, as well as nuances depending on the landscape of where you reside. In the early years, we resided in Boston. It felt like a foreign country. Before Google or cell phones, there were home phones, attached to the wall by a wire, and we called numbers looked up via the Yellow Pages. This book was vital to finding anything from car repairs, places to eat, or in this case the movie theatre. Upon calling the theatre, you heard a repetitive recording with the movies currently playing and when.

We'd been in Boston probably a few months. Date night. Movie. Called the line. Listening on repeat, neither my husband nor I could distinguish the name of one of the movies. It was one word we both thought was Arlame. Never heard of it. We listened again and again with the same result. Arlame! We called some friends we'd recently met to specifically ask about this show, Arlame. Our friend had asked who's in it? Steve Martin. That's easy.....the movie is All of Me! We were were like, huh? Still not used to the accent, for them it was natural, they were Bostonians. When a word ends in L, there's an R in front of the L. I might add that adding an R where there isn't one isn't the only speech change. If a word ends in A, you add an R. The name Anna, for example is Anner. And one more, if a word ends in R, like car, then you drop the R. It's pak your ca in Havad Yad (park your car in Harvard Yard). I might add they talk with great speed.

Terms are different depending on the area of the country for the same word. For example- soda: soft drink, pop, Coke, carbonated beverage, etc.

My husband grew up in Hawaii. His family relocated from Iowa. His parents taught them more formal English. What they learned daily to communicate with those from the islands was Pidgin English. It's a cross between languages to understand each other and as one who didn't grow up there, I had NO idea what they were communicating. It's a short hand of sorts. There's both English and Hawaiian, some Japanese and I believe even a bit of Portuguese. Never mind the words they combined for new words.

I grew up in the midwest. I had no idea that you washed a car. I thought you warshed it.

Language has an intent. In order to understand it, I need to know the culture. Their word for something may or may not mean the same thing to me.

One more Boston example for good measure. Anywhere we have been in the states if we ask for a coffee at a shop (it's one of my favorite things to do with another individual), they will ask if room is needed for cream. In Boston, if you order coffee they would ask if we wanted a regular. First few times, we said yes. We assumed it meant black. Nope, Nada. No. Regular means with cream and sugar. If you want your coffee fresh from the grounds without any additives, you MUST say I want a black coffee.

After our 18 months there, we learned quite a bit about language and the difference between 'here and there'. What I learned is places are different, but so are people. It's not just the language of speech. How they relate is different. One example before I get to my point of this memorable post (to me of course). My husband, remember I said he was raised with more formal English speech? He was also raised where only one person talked at a time and everyone listened. I grew up in a rendition of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Truly. I even have several cousins named Nick and Nikki, if you've seen the movie. The point is if you've seen it you know. They are loud, boisterous, fiery, and greet one another with hugs and kisses. Everyone talks at the same time! Talk about raised in two very different cultures. Our speech was only the first piece. Yes, also, in the midwest, I didn't know you weren't suppose to end a sentence with a preposition. Ex. What is this made of?

How do you know how to take something said or written?

Context: it's the circumstances that surround it. You must be a person of understanding.

But more importantly, get to KNOW the person!

'Those who are loved by God, let his love continually pour from you to one another, because God is love. Everyone who loves is fathered by God and experiences an intimate knowledge of him. The one who doesn’t love has yet to know God, for God is love. The light of God’s love shined within us when he sent his matchless Son into the world so that we might live through him. This is love: He loved us long before we loved him . It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins.

1 John 4:7-10 TPT

Jesus chose to lay it down. It was not forced: John 10:18 I surrender my own life, and no one has the power to take it from me. I have the authority to lay it down and take it back up again.

God the Father talks about himself in the story of the Prodigal son. In Luke 15:20...so the father raced out to meet him. He swept him up in his arms, hugged him dearly, and kissed him over and over with tender love.

*Remember the prodigal was an adult who took his inheritance and lost it all and came groveling back home. This is not a small child. In this Jewish culture, this father didn't care who saw, how old the son was, what he'd done. He didn't wait for the son to get to him. This dad was overcome with relief, joy, love. All that mattered was restoring the relationship, accepting his son back right where he'd left off.

It's who he is:

Agape is the word for love used to say God is love. It is selfless, sacrificial, enduring. It is unconditional and expects nothing in return.

And that's exactly why we want to give it! This kind of care, commitment, and love draw us to the source, the very SOURCE of LOVE.

What is the nature of God?

How does He speak?

What are His attributes?

What of Him do you recognize in yourself?

How well do you know him?

Are you and he close? Are you 'tight'? Are you inseparable? How do you know His love?

Living in His Language, Love.

Next post. What are some of the words in His language. We will start with the One Another's! What's your language? KTWL