RESOLVING UNWISDOM

I went for another walk today. This time through the woods. I was trying to contemplate how I felt about a particular friend of mine, someone whom I consider very wise, telling me that a recent thing I did was (in his view) 'not very wise at all.'

I don't much enjoy being unwise, even though my history is littered with unwisdom. Hindsight shows those moments up like a UV light. This however, was a bit more recent and very difficult to chalk up to the folly of youth. And no, not enjoyable. When he pointed it out it seemed quite obvious.

It's nothing serious by the way; I'm not in any kind of trouble. It was just one of those moments when the dilemma made it difficult for me to see what the right thing to do was. According to my wise friend, I had picked the wrong path.

The wrong path eh. The sunlight flickered between the tall trees. I scrambled up a slippery grass bank. A small bird rustled out of a bush and flew away through the leaves. Then the air fell silent.

One of the things I like about being a Christian is that even when you do pick a bit of an unwise path, you're still only a step away from God himself. And today, as if to illustrate that point precisely, I felt that exact thing in the middle of the woods. I had to stop. I put one hand over my heart and closed my eyes. Everything was pounding and my eyes began to tear up a little bit. I felt as though He was standing next to me, there between the trees and the butterflies.

You might think I imagined the whole thing I guess. I've been around long enough to know though, when it's beyond me. I walked on, trying to listen, trying to hear. Soon the paths reconnected and I was back where I thought I was. Wisdom restored, I suppose...

My phone buzzed happily in my pocket.

It was Winners, asking how I was. Winners is not the 'wise' friend I mentioned, but he does have a fair amount of wisdom himself. I quickly told him what had happened - how God had used my journey through the woods as a metaphor for something deeper and more wonderful.

Bizarrely, Winners seemed thrilled and puzzled in equal measure. I couldn't understand it. It was only later I realised that autocorrect must have kicked-in early on in the message chain and I'd accidentally told him I'd been in the presence of Godzilla.

So, there is always a way back to wisdom and it does start with seeking the Maker of it. That was my learning today - unwisdom doesn't have to lead to disaster, and there's always a way back if you start in the right place. Hopefully I can sort out the 'recent thing I did' and do it in a way that dovetails with God's brilliant plan for resolving my unwisdom.

I don't exactly want to be lost in the woods again.