“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30 TLV
When sign language interpreters meet one another or a member of the Deaf community for the first time, it is very common to share one’s personal story of how they learned ASL. It’s the most common question I’m asked by Deaf consumers when we’re on hold or in a waiting room together: “LEARN ASL, HOW?”
And, it’s a story I love to tell.
I had a Deaf roommate in college and I learned ASL primarily from her and other members of the Deaf community. And, I learned to be an interpreter by stalking – I mean studying – highly skilled interpreters. No, I’m not kidding. I attended workshops at Deaf Education conferences based on who the interpreter was – not the title or topic of the workshop. I became a student of good interpreters – I watched them work, I paid attention to sign choices and language features, and I took copious notes. I became such a good student that even today people ask if I’m related to one of my mentors because we both “sign alike.”
The Greek word for “learn” above is manthanō and paints the same picture I described above – it means to be a student of someone – to learn from them by getting close to and studying them. That is what He’s after. Closeness. Intimacy. Connection. Relationship.
Just like people assume I’m Alaina’s sister because we sign alike, I want people to assume I am related to Yeshua because I look, sound, and act like Him. I want my life to reflect His peace and love. And, the only way I can achieve that is to spend time “stalking” – I mean studying – Him.
May my life be an arrow that points the way to Him.
Father – thank You for Your Word and Your beautiful Son. Make me like Him I pray. You are good and You keep doing good. Your leadership in my life is perfect and You can be trusted. Amen.
Daily Reading: Matthew 11
October 12, 2022