The problem with me is that I want to learn
everything at once.
I love learning. But I often don’t take the
time to learn something well before I’m off to the next thing. (Which is a
strange practice for a perfectionist, now that I think about it.)
I just want to know everything. I can’t begin to explain how disappointed I was at
the age of 34 - married with children - to suddenly come to the realization
that I would never know everything there was to know in the world.
Devastated doesn’t even come close.
*****
Apprenticeship is very different from
learning something quickly and moving on to the next enticing thing.
When I picture an apprentice, I picture a
student walking with his master. Watching closely, listening carefully, mimicking
the movements, learning the tone of voice. Apprentices of the Middle Ages actually
lived with their masters’ families. For several years! By the end of their apprenticeship they
would have understood the meaning in every raised eyebrow, every twitch of the
lips, every “harrumph!” that they
encountered in their master’s actions. And they would have understood their
craft inside out and backwards.
This week I have been pondering Psalm 37,
with regards to my writing. Verses familiar to me that I have had highlighted
for many years:
Verse 3.
Trust in the LORD, and do good …
Verse 4.
Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your
heart.
Verse 5.
Commit your way to the LORD …
Verse 7.
Rest in the LORD …
But what’s this? Artfully tucked between Trust in the LORD and Delight yourself in the LORD are two
little lines conveniently skipped over time and again:
Dwell in the land
and cultivate faithfulness.
That, to me, is apprenticeship at its core.
Dwelling
in the land of writers is an apprenticeship with
community. I like to dwell in the land of writers.
I am fresh off a Spring WorDshop, where it
was invigorating to breathe the same air as like-minded people. And I learned
so many things I had never thought about in quite that way before.
I love my writers group, where I can bounce
ideas off of trusted writer friends, get constructive feedback, and grow in my
craft.
That’s dwelling in the land of writers.
Cultivating
faithfulness takes work and attention, and is part
of the apprenticeship that is often done alone.
The definition of cultivate is:
- - to grow and care for
- - to foster the growth of
- - to improve by labour, care, and
study
There is something about this part of
apprenticeship that is just so … daily.
It’s not something quickly learned,
enabling me to blissfully skip off to learn something new. It’s a step by step,
day by day growing, improving, and knowing.
It’s being faithful to the word and the
Word.
Day in and day out, sitting my bottom in
the chair and putting my fingers to the keyboard.
This is the hard part for someone who likes
to go off to learn the latest thing.
Someone like me.
But I think that dwelling in the land and
cultivating faithfulness with my writing is the best possible apprenticeship I
could have.
LORD,
I trust in You. I commit my writing to You. Grant me the motivation,
determination, and focus to be faithful in my apprenticeship. Above all, may it bring
You glory.
Amen.
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