Duolingo

Dear reader, 

At the beginning of the year, I decided to hop on the Duolingo train. I know it wasn’t popular by any means anymore, but I thought It would be a fun task to keep up on the side. 

I loved the activities and the ways they taught Spanish as I went about my days, but the one thing I couldn’t get enough of was their ‘streaks’. 

If you don’t know what I mean let me break it down in this way. When you did a lesson each day you started to grow your learning streak. There was something about that little number growing each day, I couldn’t get enough of it. 

Until the day when I missed my lesson. 

I panicked, I rushed to my phone the next day and saw that my streak was ‘frozen’ I had somehow earned the ability to lose one day and it would be okay. 

I relaxed a bit, but then I had to take a step back. Was learning Spanish that important to me? Should I keep going on just for the streak’s sake or because I longed to learn the language? 

Looking back at it I had about 130 days of streaks, but I hit a point where that satisfaction of keeping my streak alive was more important than what I was actually learning, it was just another box for me to check and I couldn’t stand that. 

I wondered if there was a way to redeem it in my mind and heart and break away from this line of thinking, due to this constant strain in the back of my head Duolingo was not as enjoyable as it once was. 

Sure I know how to say a small handful of words in Spanish now, but I think until my heart is in a better place I’ll be better off taking a break. 

I don’t know if you’re like me in this way, but sometimes studying scripture can be the same way for me. I would read just to read, and then go into my day as if the life-changing words I had just read didn’t change me at all. 

Now and then I tend to spend most of my time with God just in prayer. To recenter my heart in His presence and to remember my relationship with him isn’t based on any performance I can carry out. 

He loves me. 

He sees me. 

He cares for me. 

All of these things are done on my behalf without anything I could do to earn such a grand reward. 

I urge you to reevaluate your life in light of the ‘streaks’ mentality. Don’t just keep doing something just to say you did it, make sure the Spirit is alive and active in your times with The Father. 

Take the time to slow down with Him and evaluate your heart and mind as you go about your days. 

Today I’m letting go of my streak on Duolingo, and embracing God. 

Let go of your streaks today, you know what they are.

You won’t regret it. 

Sincerely, 

Your Fellow Hermano In Christo

-Mitchell