Investing

Gage--the preacher--was telling us about an amateur golf player who won a contest back in the early digits (prolly about 2001 or so.)  I think I remember Gage saying that he won about $800,000.  After that day, the amateur player quit his day job and hired a golf coach and played and practiced golf every day.   I don't know who the guy was, but I'm pretty sure I remember Gage saying that he won the first professional tournament he entered after he'd spent some years perfecting and investing in his talent.  The story got me to thinking "How do I spend my time and money?"

Well, I read a lot.  I love to read. I love how words are put together and I love connecting with the characters (Harry Potter, anyone?)  and caring about what happens to them. I prolly buy an average of one book a day via Kindle. If I were to venture a guess on the money I've spent on Amazon buying books for my Kindle in the last eleven months, it might scare you. Clearly, I view the money spent on books as a good investment.

Also, I like to knit.  I love creating something out of something else where the end product doesn't even remotely resemble its original form.  I find myself seeking out the yarn section in every kind of store which sells it.  The various colors draw me.  I imagine what this color would look like paired with this color. I imagine what someone I love would look like in a hat made of these colors.  I end up spending quite a bit of money on yarn.   I have about eight milk boxes filled with yarn--color coordinated, even. YAY me!!  The time I spend creating things and the money spent in achieving that goal is really worthwhile to me.

I love learning.  Many of the aforementioned books are histories or biographies and suchlike.   It is fun to learn.  I'd really like to learn to speak other languages, too. I really enjoy it when I know enough of a language that I start thinking in that language instead of English.   Over the last two years, I've spent more than $1,000 on Rosetta Stone language program for both French and Italian.(By the way, it is worth it.  It is actually a great deal--well worth the money spent--and a million times more useful than taking it in college)  I felt that the Rosetta Stone program was worth the time, energy, and money.  The program is a good investment.

I also must admit that I'm a computer-a-holic.  It is hard for me to be without it.  Recently, the computer I've had longer than any others died.  I searched and searched and found a tablet which I liked and proceeded to buy it online. (it turned out to be a dud, but hey---lesson learned, yeah?)  After buying it, I realized that I really need to spend more money on a specific e-printer and a protective case for the tablet so that it wouldn't break when I dropped it, etc. etc. etc.   I kept spending money on making sure the machine would work for me.  I felt that these items were a good investment.  Living in this small town has made me all the more aware of how much I need social interaction.  For that reason alone, the investment in computers and their paraphernalia is totally worth it--totally, fer sure!

A year ago, I bought myself a beautiful red guitar--though I thought it'd be more brown from the photographs.  I named him Rossi--which is Italian for red. After the initial purchase of the actual guitar, I ended up even spending more on accessories.  I bought a guitar storage/display unit.  It gives Rossi a place to sleep, yeah?  I bought a music stand.  I bought a tuner. I have bought countless picks.  It is maddening how quickly they disappear!   I've grown as a guitarist through the last year and really enjoy playing and learning new songs.   I've spent several hundreds of dollars investing in learning to play this instrument.  It is a good investment.

Recently, I went to visit some friends in Lake Charles.  We had such a great time.  At one point, I got out my guitar and I played for them.  At the time, I think I knew two songs and I wasn't even very good at them, really.   I was staying with my friend, Shirley, and her husband, Steve. At one point she made a comment that I really should have known already.   She said, "Well, you'll only get better if you practice."    For whatever reason, I finally took to heart that lesson which I already knew deep down into my heart.   That weekend, whilst I was still visiting them, I practiced my guitar for a total of about 2 1/2 hours.  By the end of the visit, my ability had risen quite a bit.   It was crazy!  I was stunned and realized that if I were to commit to about an hour almost every night, I'd be a ton better!  That visit was a little less than a month ago.  Now, instead of just two songs, I know six songs pretty well and about three songs only slightly well.  I've invested my time and it has paid off.   It is kinda like the guy who won that ton of money and invested it into learning how to be the best golfer he can be.  
I wonder what things capture our attention enough for us to invest in them.   I've invested in books, and yarn, and Rosetta stone, and my computer and my guitar.  These are useful and worthwhile investments to me.   But, I wonder, How invested are we in our spiritual life? How invested am I?  Do I invest my time and heart and money into growing as a Christian?   If not, shouldn't I--shouldn't you?  Shouldn't we be investing in Heaven?