#787 – Wisdom

Yoda.

Gandalf.

Dumbledore.

They all have something in common.

Yoda was older than Luke.

Gandalf was older than Frodo.

Dumbledore was older than Harry.

They were also full of wisdom. Wisdom that they were willing to share, as long as Luke, Frodo and Harry were willing to listen.

I am tremendously blessed to serve on our church’s senior leadership team. I am the youngest person on the team by 13 years. So while none of my colleagues are nearly as old as Yoda, Gandalf or Dumbledore, they all have more wisdom than I do.

I am completely blessed to simply sit at a table with them and listen to what they have to say.

If we’re addressing an issue of vision at our church, I’m blessed to listen to their insights.

If we’re sitting at dinner and they’re talking about their children, I’m blessed to hear what they’ve learned about parenting.

If we’re just sitting around and sharing about our life experiences, I’m blessed just to listen and glean any wisdom that I can.

We all have older people in our lives from whom we can gain wisdom. Maybe it’s a parent, grandparent, friend, mentor or pastor. And if we don’t have those people in our lives, then we need to find them.

Luke wouldn’t have destroyed the Empire without Yoda.

Frodo wouldn’t have saved Middle Earth without Gandalf.

Harry wouldn’t have defeated Voldemort without Dumbledore.

We need older, wiser people in our lives to help us reach our fullest potential. And not only do we need them in our lives, but we also need to listen to them. Luke, Frodo and Harry wouldn’t have accomplished anything if they hadn’t listened to the wisdom of others. And when we find older, wiser people who want to invest in us, we should listen to every word they have to say.

Especially if they have gray hair growing off of their chins or out of their big, green ears.

What older, wiser people have shared their wisdom with you?