We should always be open to both sharing with others and receiving from others, the gift of wisdom that comes from living.
A few weeks ago, we were practicing a new choir song. I don’t read music. I sing what I hear, but I have learned which notes mean to go higher or lower, even if I don’t know exactly how much higher or lower. But, sometimes the music looks like complete chaos to me.
There will be three different rows of notes and different parts and then the sopranos will switch up with the altos or we will join in with the men, and I find myself completely lost. This was one of those times.
At some point, I leaned over to my choir buddy to my right and made some comment about being clueless. She’s been reading music her entire life. She gently reached over and took my song book out of my hands. She took my pencil and she made notes. She drew arrows and wrote in short directions. It only took her a couple of minutes.
She handed it back and asked me if that helped. It did and I was ever so grateful. She took a foreign language of sorts, and translated it into something I could understand.
I thought about the exchange long after practice was over. I thought about how at one time in my life, I would have never even asked for help. I probably would have just faked it somehow. If I’m honest, I probably would have been insulted that she took my book and actually wrote in it.
But, the older I get, the more humble I become. Pride is often not a useful emotion and rarely a productive one among God’s people. My friend heard me ask for help and she swiftly provided it. She has way more knowledge about music than I ever will. Why would I not be grateful for the lifeline?
She reminded me that we should all be reaching out to those around us who are struggling with something that we may have unique wisdom about. It could be how to survive a rough season with a difficult child, or a rough patch in a marriage, or a season of sickness, or financial issues. Sometimes our wisdom may involve matters of the Church or the Bible.
Every morning that we wake up, we should hear the little whisper that God is not done with us yet. We can begin each day with wide open eyes to not only reach out to others, but to be ready to receive as well.
A choir practice reminded me not to miss the many opportunities to share our wisdom with other people who are on this journey we call life. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂