We Southerners certainly do have our own dialect, don't we? And it pops up in the weirdest places.
You see, I have this Bible that has the English translation aligned next to the original Greek text. So as I read a passage in English, I can look right beside it to find the literal meaning in Greek. And, yes, it does make me feel smarter than I actually am. You should get a copy and try it!
So today I read this verse where Jesus is speaking: “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me . . .” (John 6:44). What a beautiful thought: God Himself calls us to His Son, our Savior. Then I glanced over at the original language to find that the English word “draw” used in this verse is literally translated “haul” in Greek. Well, that's different.
Every time I've read this verse before, I had in my mind a picture of God reaching out His hand with a gentle gesture beckoning us to come to Jesus. The kind of “c'mon” hand gesture that your buddy might give you while standing behind your car as you're backing up, to make sure you don't peg the BMW in the spot behind you. Somewhat of a coaxing motion to quietly “draw” you to Him.
But folks from the South know what it is to “haul” something. You might haul a load of wood, haul your kids around, or make the long haul. It's something that takes effort, energy, sweat, and dedication, right? Sometimes hauling feels more like dragging and can cause great frustration.
I don't pretend to know for sure if this literal translation is appropriate in this verse or not, but, wow, did it resonate with my own experiences. I think that's exactly how the Creator got me to the Savior: He had to HAUL me there.
Apparently, I don't respond to gentle to nudges very well <insert friends' and husband's laughter here>. I can look back and see the times God must have been literally dragging me to Jesus. Think about that kid in Wal-Mart who's kicking and screaming to go to the toy section while the parent has to drag him by the ear to get him safely home. That's a pretty accurate illustration, unfortunately.
The point is, praise God, I'm with Him now! Previously in that chapter, Jesus had said, “Anyone who comes to Me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37) Interestingly, the Greek for “drive away” is “throw outside”. So if we wanna get down to the nitty-gritty of the passage Southern-style, we see that God Himself hauls us to the Messiah who then will NOT throw us out! And that is breath-taking!
Looks like my learnin' has served me well this morning.
**Note to any Greek scholars who may be reading this: Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about the translation. My liberal arts college education will not argue with you. 
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