Friday, September 07, 2007

Hidden Wisdom…

“Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard”…Ecclesiastes 9:16

One of the things that I have noticed within myself as well as in others is a certain lack meekness. I am working hard on that. I have learned that every one has something to teach whether it appears to be apparent or not. Teenagers tend to hit this stage at some point and it irritates the crap out of parents. As my children get older, I notice this habit quite often. I just smile because I realize there will come a time when they will come to their senses and grow out of it. Looking back I realize that I must have really gotten on my mother’s last nerve! I do happen to notice that some adults remain trapped in this stage. Some of my clients do this from time to time and I often want to shake them until they hear me but I have learned to restrain myself. Take for in stance, I work in a health related field and while I was teaching on health and nutrition everyday I hard a hard time practicing what I preached. So of course some of my clients ignored my advice and what I had to say even though they were paying to do so. Once I began to actually follow my own advice (and minus 22 lbs) they now know that I knew what I was talking about.

I really appreciate the clients that listened regardless of whether I looked like I was the size they felt I should be. Those who listened while I was struggling with my own personal commitment to my health are now at their goal or within a small range towards it. All because they were meek enough to receive from me regardless. Had they learned early in their life to learn to be objective they too could be further along also.

My point is this, I once had this philosophy that if you didn’t have what I wanted or were where I wanted to be, I would ignore you. After all what could you possibly have to share with me? I have long ago abandoned that advice which I found in a business book years ago. The word talks about a poor man saving a city yet his wisdom was despised (Ecclesiastes 9:15). The funny thing is, is that some people aren’t looking for the same things as the rest of us, yet that doesn’t mean that they don’t have good advice or that they can’t be a rung on the ladder towards our success. If nothing else, they know what things not to do in life. Every area may not look like we think it should and they may struggle with their own issues, but they still have the ability to teach us a thing or two. G-d spent a lot of time using people who didn’t seem to it the bill for being able to teach or be His messengers. Take Naomi and Ruth for example, Here this woman is giving advice to a young widow to catch a man, a rich one at that, when she didn’t have squat to her name. Yet in following that advice Ruth scored the man and a new life. If she hadn’t been meek, she may have missed her destiny! Plenty of people ignored Jesus because He didn’t fit their expectation. G-d certainly does use the foolish things does He not?

I recently ignored some wisdom that I despised at the time because I still thought, if this person knew so much then why were they not doing more with their own life? Later when I was still G-d showed me my own haughtiness and I was ashamed. And since I have come to the same conclusion as that advice from months ago, I realize that G-d used this person to speak words I ignored and I could saved myself some time, effort and energy! From now on I will slow down, listen and take what they have to say back to G-d and ask Him to illuminate what has been spoken—whether I should listen or ignore it since I failed to do that the last time. Lesson learned though.

Until next time…
Be Blessed!
Chosen.