Week 25: This is Hard

Day:  174          Verses Memorized:  408          Working On:  John 9:13-34

The John Squad
Please click here to chart your own progress - even though I'm the only one still doing this

My Progress:
It feels very good to be past 400 verses.  In another 35 verses or so, I'll be half way.  However, I am finding myself with less and less time and it's getting frustrating.  I get up at 4:30 so I can do my devotions, exercise, and shower before the children are up.  I try not to use my devotional time to memorize.  Then the day gets started and I run around like crazy.  At the end of the day, I am completely wiped out.  I am only spending between 15-30 minutes memorizing before I fall asleep with the book in my hand.  While I am still making steady progress as I work through Chapter 9, there has been zero review-time of previous chapters and I know that is not good.  But I'm doing the best I can.  I will keep moving forward and pause after each new chapter to review the old ones.  Hopefully that's enough.  That stinking voice has been getting louder.  The one that says, "why bother?  You're just going to forget all this one day anyway.  You think you're going to remember all these verses for the rest of your life?  What's the point?"  Oh how I hate that voice.

Some Thoughts:
I find this chapter very unusual.  In all the rest, there was a short story and then discussion.  In this one, the entire chapter is the ongoing story of the healing of a blind man.  Unfortunately, it makes it a very annoying chapter to memorize because there is so much stinking dialogue.  In the beginning, I was so aggravated and said, "this is ridiculous!  All this talk is so unnecessary.  Why is all this in here?"  My husband helped to put things in perspective and reminded me that this is God's Word.  Who the heck do I think I am?

My Pastor believes that extra time is spent on this story because it illustrates a change in the people's thinking.  During this chapter, they go from believing/unbelieving to downright rejecting Jesus.  All the dialogue and discussion shows the lengths that the people will go through to remain in their unbelief.  Despite all the evidence, they insist on not believing.  It's actually a little disturbing to memorize and it brings me back to my initial fears when I first started this project.  I have been worried about memorizing the details of the crucifixion since I started and if this chapter bothers me, I'm really not looking forward to what is to come.

Sometimes when we read, we have a tendency to glaze over things.  Especially when the text itself glosses over it.  For example, there is a major miracle that has occurred here.  This man was blind since birth.  And the miracle that takes place is mentioned briefly in 1/2 of a verse:  "so the man went and washed and came home seeing."  I just can't imagine that!  I mean, I've spoken to people who have had Lasik before and their testimonies are remarkable.  They say there's a whole world that they hadn't been seeing.  And those people were not even initially blind!  Can you imagine being completely blind for your entire life and then having your eyes opened?  Amazing! 

At any rate, I can add another personality to my repertoire. I am definitely still the man at the pool, the adulterous woman, and a Pharisee. Now I get to be a blind man as well.

Indeed, I was spiritually blind.  And praise God, my eyes have been opened!