Alexa and Learning

 We used to have an Alexa in our home; you know the little machine that listens in on everything that you have to say? Anyways, we had one and our kids loved to ask her to say things like “poop”, and then they would ask her to play the “poop song.” I am sure Alexa can be used for various intellectual tasks around the house like turning on and off lights, finding answers to trivia facts and giving directions; but in my house there was not much intellect coming from Alexa. One day, however, Alexa said something that struck me as profound, she said, “I don’t know everything but I am always learning.” I immediately pulled out my phone and wrote this statement in the notes app because I wanted to remember this phrase, “I don’t know everything but I am always learning,” coming from this piece of technology, a piece of technology that we can assume does know everything and was created at max capacity for that particular time. 

Technology is created and can only function to a certain point. Technology has limitations that have been placed on it based on the creator of the tech. So this current Alexa could admit she did not know everything but was still learning. Interesting thought that a machine can have the awareness that it does not know everything but is still capable of learning and yet as human beings we sometimes believe we have reached our maximum to learn and thus have stopped trying to learn. We know enough or we know what we want to know. 

As humans we may say “we have nothing left to learn because we know it all,” or “we know everything we are meant to know by now so why keep learning,” or “if I have not learned this by now I will not ever learn this.” As a parent, I spend a majority of my time watching my children learn. They have learned how to eat, walk, run, read, write, play baseball and softball, dance and ride bikes. Our children are in a constant state of learning and putting into practice the things that they have learned. I cannot count how many times they have stopped me in my tracks by a word they have spoken, a kind gesture or a skill they developed and I  have to stop, look at them and revel in how smart they are. I always think “when did they learn that?” There are times I marvel at my children so much that it brings tears to my eyes and a smile to my face when I see all that they are accomplishing. 

Is it possible that being a spectator in our kids lives is so much fun and comfortable that we forget we are called to still learn and grow as well? My call to action for myself, parents and adults today is to keep learning and putting into practice the new skills we are learning. Work to not grow complacent and stagnant. Do not let the fear of failure or pride keep us from trying new things because we think it has already been done, we were not made for that or we are too old to try something new.

 You see Alexa’s creator has given her a maximum to her learning based on what her creator knows and how many gigabytes she has to hold memory. God does not put limitations on the things that we can do when He calls us to those things. Age, health, money, status are all human limitations that we can place on ourselves but God can do the impossible in situations when we are called by Him. If you still have air in your lungs to breathe you still have a purpose in this life and I can give you a 100% guarantee that it is not just to be a spectator. Yes, being a spectator can be part of the process but He also is calling you to a life not of stagnation but of learning, growth and skill. He is still asking us to rely on His strength, His power and His miracles. He stretches us beyond ourselves so that we rely on Him. You see when we leave the door open to learning  and to His Spirit we invite the potential for greatness to step inside.

I think as spectators of our children we can also learn from watching them. We can see the wonder, joy, spongelike ability to take things in and we can learn from that. We can tap back into our inner child and bring it into adulthood and experience wonder, joy and literally take life in its fullest by relying on Jesus. We do have the ability within ourselves and with Christ to live lives in exhilaration and the opportunity to exclaim shouts of joy. Let’s leave room for the greatness of God to step into our lives today and do the unimaginable with our tomorrows by relying not on our own strength, knowledge and power but by relying on the One who gives strength, knowledge and power to accomplish His will outside of our human limitations. We will witness many miracles by relying on the One who opens the door for us. Are you willing to step through the door and experience learning, reliance on the Spirit and adventure? Let’s go!