A Bag with Wheels

A bag with wheels! No, I’m not talking about a bag lady who pushes a shopping cart down the street. I’m talking about a Greek scholar and a new Black Book Bag with Wheels.

My friend and I have stuck to the class and we’re in our second year of Greek Studies. We have acquired more books, and we use every one of them. The bags have gotten heavier.

The handle broke on hers and she showed up this week with the latest little black bag on wheels. For myself, I was carrying two big bags. Al would transport them to the car before I left for class and I struggled to get them into the classroom. The teacher’s still carries his Greek books in cardboard boxes.

When I saw my friend’s new bag, I had to have one. Now I can answer the phone with, “Have Greek, Will Travel, Have Bag will Go, or Make Room for the bag with wheels.” My friend answers her phone with, “Greek Central on Wheels.”

We wonder why our teacher has hung in there with us. We can’t believe the three of us are still in this class. It’s a miracle. This second book is harder than the first one. When I start to study, my mind shuts down. I find I have to lie down and take a nap. My friend says she now takes naps, too.

My Sweet Al said, “A Penny for your thoughts.”

I told him, “Transitive and intransitive verbs and the Greek word, ego eimi. I AM. This intransitive verb stands alone, it doesn’t require an object. The word is like it’s in it’s own world and it carries itself.”

He had asked me, and I gave him more than a penny’s worth. I gave him a little Bible study.

He said, “I know that. I know about I AM He.”

I said, “No you don’t, it’s more powerful than you think. The word ‘He’ isn’t in the original language. We’ve added it to the Bible.”

I could tell I lost him. He picked up the newspaper, but I couldn’t stop. I was on a roll. No pun intended, my Greek books are on wheels, and this bag has no brakes. The subject was getting heavier. “When Jesus was confronted with the soldiers, he set up a scene and asked, “Who are you seeking?”

They said, “Jesus of Nazarene.”

He said, “I AM.” When he said I AM, the soldiers were knocked backwards to the ground. I said to Al, those two words have the power to change men, knock them off their feet. I know the power of those two words. I have experienced many “I AM” moments.

Al wasn’t knocked off his feet by my brilliance, but his eyes glassed over and he looked out the window. I didn’t let that deter me, I continued, “We talk about aha moments, wow moments, and light bulb moments. We’re saying the same thing. We say we are enlightened, we see it differently, and we change our minds. We’re knocked to the ground and we understand a truth. It is an ego eimi moment, an I AM moment.”

Now, Al plays with the dog. I continued. “I had an ego eimi moment in the Greek class this week. With this second Greek book, we have gone from the honeymoon to the marriage. The honeymoon is over. The dirty socks are on the floor, and someone needs to pick them up.

We used to get excited over one little Greek word and we threw it out for everyone to hear. Now, we translate sentences and see deeper into the language and have become more intimate and connected.  We’ve moved into the marriage.

I continued to talk.  Al hadn’t checked in yet. Whiskey, his dog, turned over with all four feet in the air. Al scratches her. Now, Al does the same thing.  He turned over and his feet are in the air. Then he said, “Why do you have to talk Greek all the time?”

I said, “You asked me. You set me up. I think I’m over the honeymoon in Greek. I’ve picked up the socks and the marriage is real. I’ve moved into a deeper relationship with the Lord. I’m having an ‘I AM’ moment.”

I knocked him off his feet and wore him out. He’s used to looking at pictures in The Duck Unlimited Magazine. My Sweet Al has now moved to the bedroom and needs a nap. Greek will do it every time.

 Final Brushstroke! My Sweet Al and I are not reading the same book, but he bought me a black bag with wheels to carry all this heavy knowledge, anyway. Somehow we came to an ‘I AM’ moment together. Our marriage is getting deeper and more meaningful. I don’t know how. It’s a miracle.