“Use it or lose it.”
Football coaches said that in the weight room, usually while we were trying to explain why we needed to sit down. Language professors warned us to use our Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and German daily. My piano teacher said something similar about muscle memory. Apparently, muscles have memories. Mine remember how much they dislike exercise.
I haven’t used it, and I have almost lost it.
I am talking about my handwriting.
I often write notes to members of the congregation. Some are invitations to church events. Others offer encouragement during rocky times. Then there is my special category: “I know where you sit, and I haven’t seen you sitting there for a couple of Sundays.”
If you want your preacher to have trouble tracking your attendance, move around the sanctuary. Of course, convincing a Methodist to change pews may require a greater miracle than anything I am prepared to perform.
I was writing a pile of those notes this week. For every successful note, I threw away two because of mistakes. By the time I finished, I had encouraged six church members and exhausted a small forest.
My handwriting is on the fritz. I know what I intend to write, but somewhere between my brain and my fingers, the message gets translated into a prescription.
When I was growing up, we learned cursive in the third grade. It was a rite of passage. Adults could no longer hide information in that mysterious, looping script. The Christmas gift list was finally readable. Unfortunately, so were the chores.
We spent hours forming those majestic letters. Our teachers expected proper slants, graceful loops, and consistent spacing. My handwriting now looks like a committee reached an agreement on none of those things.
These days, I do most of my writing on a keyboard. The computer straightens my lines, corrects my spelling, and occasionally changes a perfectly good word into something that could end my ministry.
I have neglected a skill I once used every day. Now my fingers need a refresher course.
Where has “use it or lose it” proven true in your life?
Some things grow rusty when we neglect them. That includes the ways we love one another. Patience needs practice, especially with people who give us plenty of opportunities. Compassion grows when we pay attention. Forgiveness takes more exercise than holding a grudge, although a grudge can certainly wear you out.
Jesus calls us to put love into practice: love our neighbors, pray for our enemies, forgive one another, and care for those who are easily overlooked. Those teachings become part of our lives as we follow him in ordinary, sometimes inconvenient moments.
We do not practice our way into earning his love. His love comes first. Then, by his grace, we learn to love as he loves.
So find a church on Sunday. We will be practicing following Jesus together. Then comes Monday, when we discover whether we learned anything. You are welcome to sit beside me. Just don’t ask me to take notes.
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