Proverbs 1:5- A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel…
I had a very wise fifth grade teacher. One thing that he drilled into our heads as his students was this little thought: “Everyone makes mistakes: fools repeat them, weak excuse them, but only the wise admit and profit from them.”
The other day I was thinking back upon the many foolish mistakes I have made over the course of my life. Some of them I can view with a certain amount of amusement, others still make me cringe and almost make me blush with embarrassment even at the thought. Some mistakes I can laugh at, others still make me sick to my stomach. Why is it that even when years have passed beyond the foibles of my youth, I’m still unsettled by the subtle rattling of those skeletons hanging in my closet? As I reflect on that, I realize that it’s due to some lingering fear that those scary bones may haunt me and I may someday repeat those same mistakes again.
Despite those fears, I also have in my past a whole host of wise and experienced people that God has brought alongside me as I have journeyed through life. I am extremely thankful for the many times when their words of wisdom, encouragement, hope, faith, and love have helped me navigate some pretty tumultuous circumstances that were a result of my own creation. As I remind myself of the blessings that these people have brought, I take solace in knowing that even if I open a closet door to the past and all those scary rattly bones come pouring out at my feet and trip me up, I have a plethora of wise counselors that I can turn to who will help me learn from my mistakes and give me dependable counsel.
As I wrap up these thoughts I’m inspired to take a few moments this week and find some way to thank those who have been so instrumental in helping me grow, learn, and gain a wisdom of my own inspired by theirs. I hope that you too, will take a few moments to think of those who have been your wise counselors and let them know just how important they are to you and what a difference they have made in your life.
-Chaplain Andy