“I can’t say as I was ever lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.”~ Daniel Boone
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault,and it will be given to you.”
~ James 1:5
I got home late Sunday night after a graduation party in Willmar for a talented young friend of the family who just graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He is a very gifted animator and all around good kid. We had a lengthy discussion about where he’ll go now, entering a very uncertain economy with his new degree. My young friend Alec really needs wisdom and our prayers.
We tried to get home early enough to finish working on my preparations for Pat Garner’s memorial service Monday morning. With everything going on this weekend, I had not yet finished things. I was having a very hard time organizing my thoughts properly. I kept thinking of my friend Helen and what might best comfort her. While there are certain constants we always cling to, sometimes finding precisely the right wisdom is difficult.
And yet even though I had a lot of very important work to do last night, when I sat down at the computer, I foolishly got myself all taken up with a conversation about “torture” with Carl Nelson and our circle of friends on Facebook until almost midnight. A recent Pew Research survey rendered some confusing results and we were trying to make our best Christian sense of it all together. I have scrupulously avoided getting into this conversation because of my checkered past and the inevitable diversionary places it may lead, but last night I felt compelled to jump in. Once again, I was struck by how desperately we need the wisdom of God. And now today I’m once again struck by my own utter inability to provide it...
Last Sunday in worship, we began a new study series on the book of James. I’m calling the series “Listening to Leather Knees” because the early church reportedly used to call James “Old Camel Knees” because of the amount of time he spent on his knees in prayer. Our conversation Sunday was about wisdom. Looking at James 1:5, we considered together the utterly radical idea Almighty God genuinely wants us to be wise in all we do, even as we discuss painful economic, emotional and geopolitical issues. The LORD of the Universe loves us and honestly does want to guide us through this mess. While we won’t always get the specific answers we want, we can always get the wisdom we need. LORD, help us understand the difference!
I’m hoping our next several weeks wallowing around in the wisdom of James will be fruitful for us. As Daniel Boone said, I don’t ever consider myself the least bit lost, but I must honestly admit I am very frequently bewildered for days at a time. I am a fellow standing definitely in need of wisdom.
What a wonderful thing it is to know God has promised to lead and guide! What a blessing it is to know there is absolutely nothing able to pluck us out of His hand! What a comfort it is to fully trust there is One who definitely knows the way!
LORD, help us to shut up long enough to receive the wisdom you have available.
Amen.
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