LONGING FOR GOD’S PRUDENCE (WISDOM), DAY ONE

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Wednesday, April 9th

I have another Lenten longing: the longing for the prudence, or wisdom, of God. In recent months, an expression that often comes to my mind is, “Make it make sense!” I am bewildered and frustrated by the current political and global situation, some of my own personal contemplation and confusion, and–even after almost 69 years–the unexpected, random events in life. I would love to sit down with my rabbi, Jesus, and ask him lots of questions!

Why do I long for prudence?

I long for the insight to make sense of my life and the world around me, to find a justifiable reason for the things I don’t understand, and in doing so, I hope to find peace.
I long for the certainty and confidence of making wise decisions and better choices in life, and in doing so, I hope to please God and to experience a life well-lived.
I long for the right discernment and truth for any words I write, for any guidance I may share, for the way I may live as Christ in the world, and in doing so, I hope to rightly bless (and not harm) any lives I touch.

How do I begin to find greater wisdom? I was surprised by this thought from author J. I. Packer:

Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God’s holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.

Wisdom begins with our awareness of how little we know! God seems to be making this point rather clearly to me this week, as a recent email expanded on this idea. Christine Valters Paintner at The Abbey of the Arts writes:

Bringing the mind and heart of a beginner to our lives helps us to discover the wisdom inherent in each moment. When we let go of our desire to be clever or successful or create beautiful things we may begin to open to the sacred truth of our experience as it is, not how we want it to be. Wonder is at the heart of conversion, letting ourselves be moved by life, surprised by God, and open to the grace of the moment. *

If we were to rethink what we believe we know, to question our previous knowledge and insights, and to open our souls to new understanding (to “receive the kingdom of God as a little child,” as Jesus says to the crowd in Mark 10:15), how would God fill us today?

May I keep opening, humbling, and emptying, that I may more readily receive anything–even the insights that surprise and fluster–that God would have me know.

* Christine Valters Paintner, OblSB, PhD, REACE, https://abbeyofthearts.com/
Photo by Karen