Yesterday afternoon, I picked up my nine-year-old granddaughter from school. I don’t know if it’s because they aren’t allowed to talk in school or if she just has so much bottled up inside, but from the moment she gets in the car until her mom or dad picks her up late in the afternoon, she never stops talking and chattering. I love every minute of it. A lot of it is pure entertainment as I listen to her talk about fourth-grade girls’ school stuff. However, as I listen, patterns emerge, and her personality bubbles through. It becomes a time of rich insight into that little life. It is amazing to me how much depth there is in a nine-year-old girl. Solomon touches on some of this in this verse. There is great wisdom to be found in listening to the words that flow from an uninhibited speaker. The older I get, the more I believe that young people, especially children, offer us wonderful glimpses into the depth and wisdom of our Creator God. As we age, we learn to hide it, cover it up, or even doubt it in ourselves. We become less like flowing, bubbling streams of God’s wisdom and insight. If we walk with Jesus throughout life, we begin to see that wisdom emerge again as we grow older. As someone reaches the latter years of life, they have learned that transparency and authenticity are great gifts we offer those with whom we walk on this planet. The insights we have gained, or reimagined through God and His Word, begin to flow more freely again. It is a unique and powerful cycle. As we recognize it, we can not only appreciate it but also learn from it. Today, listen deeply and learn. #BeTheEdge
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen,” James 1:19a NIV
