We decided to host a foreign exchange student in our home the year that our daughter was a senior. Kristine, from Norway, came to live with us. While driving to the lake, on our first short trip together, I had prepared some brownies to eat in the car. I asked Kristine if she would like a brownie…she held up her finger indicating, “wait just a moment”, she looked in her translation book and then had a funny look on her face. She said, “You want to give me a camera?” (for those that are younger…there once was a camera named “Brownie”) We all laughed and realized there are different meanings for the same word. Kristina was happy the brownie I offered meant a sweet dessert!
A word could be an obstacle for understanding something! We can get lost in the meaning of words. I found that when I heard a term/word used, and I applied my understanding of that word based on what I had understood it to mean, I would be offended. For example, the word “Conversion”. As I understood the word… My conversion to Christ happened at a very young age…so when someone Catholic would say to me about being converted to Catholicism… I thought…”I am already converted to Christ.” Conversion has many aspects to its meaning. Yes, we can get bogged down with the meaning of a word if we don’t know where a person is coming from… just like the English language… a word can mean opposites.. i.e.
dust: 1 to remove dust. 2 to cover with dust.
hysterical: 1 frightened and out of control. 2 funny.
fast: 1 moving quickly. 2 solid and unable to move.