Wisdom: 13 June 2010

"I give you a heart so wise"
1Kings 3:12

As I watch the movements of the birds, I muse about the decisions they make. Oh yes, animals function on instinct rather than rational decision making as we humans are capable of doing. But it's intriguing to think of the birds actually making decisions: Whether or not to migrate; where to nest; how many eggs to lay; how to teach their young to fly and survive the elements; where to find shelter in a storm; when, where, and what to eat; who and what to stay away from to keep them safe. It's also amazing this year the different species that have been regularly visiting the hummingbird feeder. There have been not only a multitude of hummingbirds and the usual Baltimore and Orchard orioles but also the yellow finches and just yesterday even a Downy woodpecker! All this to say these birds hold within their beings a great deal of wisdom - even if it is pure instinct.

When God told King Solomon to ask for anything and it would be granted, the king asked God for only two intertwined things: for an understanding heart to judge (rule) well and for the ability to distinguish from right and wrong. In other words, Solomon asked for wisdom and that is just what God granted him - "a heart so wise".

Wisdom...What does that mean to us? What does it mean to be wise? Some say wisdom comes with age, and in part that is true. We grow into wisdom and for a good many of us any wisdom we may gain is the result of trial and error - making mistakes and learning from them (the key point is learning from our mistakes). When we make poor choices that hurt us or others, it serves no purpose to place blame on someone else - we make our own choices just as everyone else makes their own choices. A phrase that gets attention in our house from time to time is this: We are all in the place we are right now because of the choices we made. Now this is not necessarily true in all cases - such as being afflicted with a hereditary disease or ailment, but for the most part as adults we make choices that, good or not so good, impact our lives (and many times the lives of others) either positively or negatively. Again the point of wisdom is to be able to choose well, to distinguish right from wrong, and to learn positive lessons from our poor choices or mistakes so as not to repeat them or pass them on to younger generations. Easy? Nope. Doable? Yes; perhaps not alone but with the wise counsel of others. AND doable when we put our trust and faith in God, who loves us so deeply and unconditionally, walks with us through the good times and our troubled times and who, if we ask and listen closely, is forever willing to forgive and grace us with wisdom.

Peace on the Journey