Looking Up

Alzaré mis ojos a los montes; ¿De dónde vendrá mi socorro?

Mi socorro viene de Jehová, Que hizo los cielos y la tierra. Salmo 121:1

I will lift up my eyes to the hills; from where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1

As Stuart and I trekked back from the store today, I thought about this verse. Psalm 121 has been on my mind all week because I have been trying to memorize it in Spanish for Phonetics class. Truth be told though, I've been more concerned about the sounds, the blends, and the phonics of the text than its meaning, until today. 

Costa Rica surrounds us with hills and mountains; so when I looked up to the mountains on our way back from our milk and bread run, I started to contemplate the meaning of the verse instead of just the phonetics. 

I have a love for learning and for the last two years, I've been pursuing a graduate degree in Biblical and Theological Studies. Although, I enjoy learning it is a demanding and challenging endeavor. Nevertheless, the rewards of deeper understanding and appreciation of God and his Word are worth it.

So where does language-learning fit into my paradigm? Well, it too gives me a deeper appreciation of God and his Word for in fact, God created all languages. The diversity of language was a part of his great plan to disperse the nations and fill the earth. In heaven, people from every nation, tribe, people and language will be present. God loves diversity and the diversity of language was his idea.

Learning a language is a rewarding experience. For one thing, it helps me to understand another’s culture, how they think, and the unique way in which they communicate their ideas.  Certainly as a missionary, learning a new language will help me to communicate God’s Word, but it also helps me to understand how the native speaker understands God. For example, it is illuminating to hear and observe the vocabulary the native speaker uses in prayer or preaching.

Although, learning a new language is a rewarding experience it is also a taxing endeavor. It is more than just me learning to speak in a new way, it is me learning to think, understand, and communicate in a completely different way. Without a doubt, I appreciate the privilege and opportunity I have to learn another language; nevertheless, it is a humbling and demanding experience. 

So the next time I get frustrated over a new verb tense or I just can’t seem to pronounce that vowel sound consistently, I will remind myself to lift up my eyes to the mountains from where my help comes from; because my help comes from the Lord who made the heavens, the earth, and every language that fills it.