The nine-year-old had never cracked an egg before. I was going to teach him how.
We set the carton with a dozen eggs and a glass bowl the counter. I tapped an egg against the edge of the bowl, felt it crack, and carefully pulled the eggshell apart, pouring the contents into the bowl. I threw the shell away. Then, I handed him an egg.
His first attempt failed. The tap he gave was so gentle the eggshell didn’t crack.
He tried again. Still nothing.
He tried harder, and smashed the egg on the edge of the bowl. The yolk and egg white slid down the outside of the bowl onto the counter and even the floor. We cleaned it up.
He tried again. What I’d mastered and could do one-handed was not so easy for him.
It took him nine tries to learn how to crack an egg so that most of it landed in the bowl. I could not believe it.
Have you ever been like that boy—slow to learn something that someone else thought was so simple? I have. Sometimes it feels like I am very slow to learn everything!
The Bible addresses those of us who are slow learners:
There is much we have to say about this matter, but it is hard to explain to you, because you are so slow to understand. There has been enough time for you to be teachers—yet you still need someone to teach you the first lessons of God’s message. Instead of eating solid food, you still have to drink milk. Anyone who has to drink milk is still a child, without any experience in the matter of right and wrong. Solid food, on the other hand, is for adults, who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12–14)
If you feel you’ve been slow to learn spiritual things, take note! The way to grow up is to learn about righteousness and put what you learn into practice.
The nine-year-old eventually became an excellent cook. He’s better than I am! He improved because he sought training, then practiced. Are we doing the same? Are we seeking spiritual maturity? Are we training in righteousness?
Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash
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