We have all received wisdom at some point in our lives from a parent who wants to help their child with a difficult choice, from peers when we have relationship problems that we can’t seem to solve on our own, or when we experience loss and we need someone beside us to fill our hearts and minds with hope. I believe that wise words or ideas can come from anywhere and as I heard the words of Ecclesiastes last week my heart stuck to this idea of seeking wisdom. I remember being in high school and as a psychology TA being able to pick and write the quote of the day, a piece of wisdom for students wandering in the senior hallway. However, what happens when wisdom comes from places that you might not expect it to, or it changes you in a way you never thought it would?
Personally, one story that helps me understand these questions is Esther. The story of a normal girl who was chosen to be a queen. I can’t even imagine what Esther went through during his transition into royalty. The endless routines, the separation from your family and way of living, and yet another burden would be placed on her shoulders: to save her people from acts of unspeakable cruelty and evil. I believe Esther is one of my favorite books of wisdom because it is shown through acts of love and sacrifice. Her cousin Mordecai says these words that stick with me, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”(Esther 4:14) Esther has shown me that wisdom and true selflessness can come from people who are the least expected and that true love can be shown during the darkest moments. Now when I read Esther, I think of this empowered girl who used her platform and voice to save her people and that wisdom can come from anyone even from the smallest of people.
It was a fall morning when I sat in my classroom preparing for Sonday School going over ideas for what to do to teach our youngest about the love and grace of God. I wanted to give these kids an opportunity to be creative since their favorite activities were talking, art, and writing. As we entered into the discussion my 1st and 2nd graders presented me with wisdom beyond their years. We were talking about love (as we do most days) and I presented the sentence starter “God’s love is…”. After a couple moments of thinking and staring at me and the chalk board these phrases were spoken. “God’s love inspires others to be themselves, God’s love is on heaven and on Earth, God’s love is like a million colors mixed together, and God’s love is full of emotion” just to name a few. When the kids left the room that morning with their art projects about what God’s love meant to them, I was left with this wisdom from some of our smallest members. They spoke with eloquence and joy as they described the love God in ways that were truly meaningful to them. The way these kids described God is some of the ways that I now describe love myself, ways that paint a vast and beautiful picture of our Infinite Father. It makes me realize that I need to pay attention because wisdom can be found everywhere and given by everyone if we care to listen.
As I prepared to write this devotion, I thought it would be fun to ask some of my closest friends about some of the wisdom that they have received. Some of the wisdom they shared was, “Be humble about the gifts you have been granted and use them to help others.” or “Remember to always be yourself because no one else can be you.”
I think the wisdom that I have carried with me is what my dad said to me, as a child, as I walked in Golden Rule every day, “Work Hard and Do Your Best” because it has showed me that all that matters is that you are doing your best and putting in the work need to do so. I have applied this to all aspects of my life: do your best to be kind, do your best to listen even though you want to speak, do your best even when there’s a part of you that thinks it is not enough, and do your best to help others realize that they are enough as well. I will leave you with a motto that some of my friends have now used as their pillar of wisdom in their own lives, “Jesus loves you and so do I” as a reminder that God is love, you are loved, and a reminder to love others. My prayer for you comes from the hymn “Be Thou My Vision” in the second verse, “Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word, I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord, Thou my great Father, I Thy true son, Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one…”. May God lead you in wisdom in the most unexpected moments and be with you always. Amen.
Be Thou My Vision (Selah Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKByTfiHOFE
