I don't think I was ever one of those kids who asked, "Mommy, what's that? Why does it look like that? Why does it do that? How does it work?" etc. Maybe I was already past that stage when I started speaking in sentences at age four, or maybe that's just not in me.
But even though I seldom ask, my head is full of questions. Lately I've discovered John Piper's Q&A sessions on YouTube (called Desiring God) and am having trouble pulling myself away from the screen! There are so many things that I've wondered about, but could never bring myself to ask. Like, "Why is it okay to sell stuff at church (like at a Christian bookstore on the premises, etc.) when Jesus overturned the tables of those selling at the temple?" He answers questions like this and all sorts of others very thoroughly and always with Scripture backing them up.
I know I must listen carefully and weigh his answers against Scripture, but it's still helpful to get an idea of where the Bible talks about such things and why the church accepts or doesn't accepts certain conduct. Growing up in the church, everything was just "accepted" so much to where I thought people would be puzzled if I asked "why." I mean, I'd been there my whole life, shouldn't I already have known?! Nope.
It's funny that the only time I really feel comfortable asking questions is when I'm speaking Japanese. Granted, it's usually only about the language itself--"What does that word mean?"--but still I find it odd that I feel comfortable humbling myself enough in that situation but not in others. Though I am trying!!!
The first and only time anyone ever told me I had this problem was when I worked at the international office at Dallas Baptist University. My boss told me that I needed to learn to ask questions and ask for help, and that if I didn't it'd make it harder on me in a future job. I was annoyed because my reasoning for not asking her was because I was scared of her, not because I didn't want to ask. But anyway... Now I ask questions at work, always with her advice echoing in the back of my mind.
Let's see how many questions I can ask in 2011! ;-)
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