I would be the first to admit one truth about myself: I don’t know everything.
To quote a politician, “I don’t know what I don’t know.”
On my way to my office the other day, I walked through the kitchen where The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, was preparing lunch. As I walked through, she said, “No, and I haven’t seen it in weeks.”
I stopped, looked at her quizzically and said, “What?”
She just smiled, so I continued to my office to begin work.
As I began, I looked for my tape recorder, which I use to record my sermons.
After 30 minutes, I peeked into the kitchen and said, “Did you see…?”
“Didn’t you hear me?” She said, “I said no.”
I stood there a little stunned, and all I could say was, “What?” How did she know what I’d ask her 30 minutes before I asked her?
While trying to process this, I found my tape recorder under some papers piled on my desk.
A few days later, I walked through the kitchen and Martha looked at me and said, “It’s Thursday at 9 o’clock.”
About an hour later, I was updating my schedule calendar. I noticed I didn’t have my next doctor’s appointment on it.
I peeked into the kitchen and asked, “Do you know when my doctor’s appointment is?”
She looked at me and said, “Don’t you listen to me? I said this Thursday at 9 o’clock.”
I then remembered she said that, but when she said it, I had no idea what she was talking about. How did she know 45 minutes before I asked her what I’d ask her?
It was a Monday morning, and as I went to my office Martha said, “They’re in your vest pocket in your closet.”
I was hurrying to get to my office because I had a business appointment at the bank, so I didn’t listen to what she said.
I looked around for my car keys and couldn’t find them. Finally, I went to the kitchen and said, “Do you know ... ”
“If you remember, I said earlier that they were in your vest pocket in your closet.”
Thinking about it, I remember her saying that, but I had no idea what she was talking about. How did she know I was going to look for my keys?”
Later, I thought, I didn’t know we were so intimately connected.
Sitting in my office I was thinking about this and was reminded of Solomon’s words
“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding.”
— Proverbs 2: 1-2
My take is, I need to be proactive when it comes to knowledge. My knowledge will feed my wisdom, which in turn will apply my heart to understanding. I can’t take for granted what I hear and must learn how to pay attention to all that’s around me.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
