When I was a freshman in high school, we had to read a Greek mythology novel in my English class. By this very sentence alone, you can tell how impressed I was. I cannot even recall the name of the novel.
I did not have any interest, whatsoever, in reading about Greek mythology. None. Zilch. Blech.
I went to my teacher and said, “I just can’t read this. It is against my religion.”
Keep in mind, my (then) Southern Baptist Christian self had no moral high ground on which to stand regarding my biblical knowledge (or lack thereof) and this book not jiving with my beliefs.
My teacher, likely realizing an unmotivated student, rather than a “passionately religious” student was standing before her, asked, “And what religion is that?”
“I’m a Christian,” I told her. “So I can’t read this.”
“I am a Christian, too,” she told me.
Feeling a bit flustered I said, “So you’re okay with reading about false gods and all?”
My teacher, far more patient with me than she probably should have been, said, “I’ll tell you what. If you go to your pastor and ask him to write a letter saying that he disapproves of this novel and does not want you to read it, I will absolutely excuse you from reading this, and will assign and allow you to read something else.”
“Victory!” I thought. “Got myself out of reading an extremely boring novel that I have absolutely zero desire to read and will get to read something more fun and enjoyable.”
So I went to my then pastor, Mack Hannah. Mack had everyone call him, “Mack.” Young and old, we were to call him Mack. And I loved Mack. So very much. Mack was a youth pastor before he was a pastor, and it showed. He was so good with kids and teenagers. Anyway, I went to Mack and said, “Mack, I have to read a Greek mythology book for my English class, but I told my teacher it was against my religion. She told me if I would bring a letter to her from you, she would excuse me from reading it!”
Feeling pretty smug because Mack was looking at me with a very sincere look and a smile, I figured he would tell me to give him a few minutes and he would write my “excuse note” letter, thus getting me out of reading Greek mythology.
Mack looked me in the eyes and said, “You’re reading it, Jackson. If I had to read it, you have to read it.”
Feeling defeated, I walked away trying to figure out how to eat crow with my teacher the next day. Boy, did that teach me a lesson on humility. The following day when I walked into my English class, my teacher asked me, “Miss Jackson, do you have a note for me?”
“No ma’am, I do not,” I told her.
I think she was quite happy to hear my news.
I wish I could tell you to picture me reading that novel and becoming extremely well versed in Greek mythology and finding myself to be a very well rounded individual. But I didn’t. I bought the CliffsNotes. I gave up and took the easy way out.
I need to cite a disclaimer. Our parents absolutely did not raise my brother and me to be “easy way out” people. They raised us to have an extremely strong work ethic that I think I pretty much adopted after this Greek mythology fiasco.
I have been looking at life lately the same way I looked at the Greek mythology assignment. I want out of the ickiness.
I think you and I probably feel an awful lot these days like I did, as a freshman in high school. We want an excuse note out of the icky parts and we want to do something more “fun and enjoyable.”
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” - Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
It’s exhausting living through this era. I get it. I feel it. The political nastiness, COVID forcing us to change our lifestyles and the fatigue that comes with it, makes us want to ask for an excuse note to forego the “icky assignment” part, and walk through something more fun and enjoyable.
But that’s not how our faith is shaped. Easy does not produce fruit. Walking through the painful, tough trials is what makes us dig into our faith. Feeling the sense of heartache, loss and confusion is what makes us have raw, vulnerable, frequent dialogue with God. And through our pain, turmoil and frustration in life, our faith grows.
I didn’t reap my harvest of Greek mythology blessings the way my peers did, because I did just enough to get by. Michala, at the age of eight, could tell you more about Greek mythology than I can, today. Had I dug in, and done the assignment with fervor, I would know far more, today.
Life is hard right now for all of us. We can’t be with our loved ones like we were once able. We can’t sit in restaurants safely, like we once did. More and more of our loved ones are sick and dying. We are uncertain about our future.
But let’s keep loving people. Let’s keep pressing in and showing our love for Jesus, even through the icky parts.
Because at just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing … if we don’t give up.
Stick through the ick.