I wrote my daughter’s name carefully on the white sheet of paper under the words ‘Prayer Requests’ scribbled at the top of the page. Pausing, I stared down at her name wondering what specific prayer I should ask for.
My daughter was going on an interview trip in several days – her dream job, in a dream location – warm climate, mountains to hike, a desirable city to live in with numerous attractions, did I mention – a prestigious position? In many ways this opportunity was a no-brainer, so what should I pray for?
The answer settled deeply in my thoughts. Wisdom. Wisdom for which job of the several offers she’d received to accept. It seemed obvious – yet, wisdom I knew was the right request. I smiled and wrote the request beside her name, passing the list to the gray haired gal beside me, confident of the faithful prayer warriors in my Women’s Bible Study who would pray with me for this next step in my daughter’s life.
The interview came – we had one brief phone call from her – she loved it there! “I’m acing the interviews,” she proudly reported. “They’ve hinted I’ll be getting an offer”, excitement exuded from her. I was thrilled. This job was the only one located on the West Coast, she’d be a mere 3 hour flight from home.
The phone rang early the morning she was to arrive home, waking us from a deep sleep. “I’m at the airport,” she was still excited and quickly listed off the wonders of this job and this place. “I did hear one small thing,” she paused while I waited expectantly, “a group of us was up late talking and one guy mentioned that my boss is difficult to work with.” “How difficult?”, I asked. She drolled out her answer, “Well, 17 out of 19 workers under him quit without completing their contract.”She was the only applicant who had accidentally been told this tidbit.
There was a twenty second silence between us while I digested this news. “What?”, my voice cracked, “that can’t be true?” “I can get along with harsh people,” she reassured me.
Later that morning in my quiet time I happened upon Proverbs 2:6-8:
“For the Lord gives wisdom…
He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones…”
Over the next 30 days, we watched our daughter agonize over which offer to accept. She sought the council of her mentor, who did some checking of the facts, pronouncing them to be true. Still, she wanted this job, this place, none of the others compared.
“Doesn’t wisdom call out?
Doesn’t understanding make her voice heard.” – Proverbs 8:1
In the end, with much heart-ache and hesitation, she chose to listen to wisdom and avoid a potentially poisonous situation. She choose her 2nd choice offer on the East coast, and her agony continued for the four months until she moved and started her new position.
Wisdom calls out. Am I listening?
Don’t we all need some light – some wisdom – some better vision for our circumstances?
“Wisdom is proved right by all her children.” – Luke 7:35
When our daughter moved and began her job an amazing thing happened, from the day she stepped off the plane into that new place she was welcomed with kindness. She was quickly surrounded by a close community, new friends, and colleagues. She was happy from day one.
There was no adjustment period; every conversation we had with her she assured us of the rightness of this decision and this place. Pure joy and she had found it in the unexpected place.
Choosing wisdom’s call isn’t often easy. It may not look sweet and enticing.
Wisdom sheds a different light – a beacon of truth in the midst of unclear places.
I read in Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest“- ‘Common sense is not God sense’. He explains it this way – “The majority of us do not enthrone God, we enthrone common sense. We make our decisions and then ask the real God to bless our God’s decisions.”
I’ll be honest, sometimes I forget to ask for wisdom – I’m too busy listening to my gut, following my common intuitive sense. Wisdom sheds a different light, because it comes from a different place – it comes from above. Do I want God’s counsel in the situations I’m facing today? Will I inquire of the Lord? Will I follow wisdom’s call?
“If anyone lacks wisdom they should ask God who gives generously without finding fault.”
– James 1:5
**Lord, we invite You into our Here & Now – You know what we are facing. Open our eyes that we may see, give us Your wisdom and insight in our circumstances. In You do we trust.
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