Lists.

"A man becomes wise by watching what happens to him when he isn't."

-Bits and Pieces

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."

-Plato

"Committing a great truth to memory is admirable; committing it to life is wisdom."

-William A. Ward

"If you realize that you aren't as wise today as you thought you were yesterday, you're wiser today."

-Bulletin, Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, Detroit

"Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do!"

-Proverbs 4:7

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom . . ." (Proverbs 4:7).

Wisdom is seeing things from God's point of view!

Today's my birthday so I'm one year older. Also, I just finished my first at-home week of retirement, redirecting, recycling, re-whatever. That took some adjusting for me. The hardest thing for me was not having a schedule. The second thing was I got sick which I'm not used to, and the third thing was I somehow twisted my hip or leg. You would think that after riding across the United States of America that my pedaling parts would be tougher than that. And I did it in my own yard! What's with that! So much for the first week of retirement!

Before retirement I received words of wisdom from some retired friends. Three come to the surface instantly: Sleep until after 8:30 the first morning. I tried that but I only made it to 6:45. Second, take the first two or three months as vacation. I did that! Incredible vacation! I may do another. Margaret is ready! Third, don't worry about what you have to do in five minutes because you don't. That one is not working for me. I need to have something scheduled. I need a list. I'm not going to worry if I don't do it but I've got to have something to shoot for each day. This piece of retirement advice reminds me of the quote, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." I have to know where I'm headed. I'm a list person. I'm so bad at having a list that at the end of the day I will write down anything I've done not already on the list and check it off just so I see that I did it! (I know, there are people with leather couches who make big bucks dealing with people like me!)

Here's my plan now:

1. I will do a list, schedule, or plan for each day. I need that visual target. I also like personal confirmation, at the end of each day, that the day has not been wasted.

2. I will be flexible. My list will be a goal not a god. I will not feel defeated if I miss things on the list. God willing there will be other days. I always want to be prepared for divine interruptions (pictured above). In fact, I will look for and take joy in them.

3. I will not put scheduled projects over unscheduled people. Speaking of people, five of my grandkids live about a hundred yards from our back door. That may mean any time is the right time to put away the tools and take out the paper and markers. Maybe we'll just build toy boats for the creek, but it's time.

4. I will accept each day as a gift from God. "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). Every day I make sure I tell God two things: Father, I love You and thank you for this day. It's a gift of twenty-fours hours that we should fill wisely.

5. I will recognize the Master Planner. Ultimately, when the day is done, I want my list to have been inspired. I want to please the Father in all I do every day. I do not want to miss one blessing or opportunity.

How often we must miss the blessings and opportunities of the abundant life because we look at everything from our point of view instead of God's point of view. God looks at things differently. We must also see the world and those around us as God does. We are prone to see problems where God sees opportunities. We see detours and not directions. We see impossibilities where God sees possibilities. We tend to focus on our disabilities when God looks at our abilities. We see interruptions instead of appointments.

What we usually do is major on the bad and the negative and, in doing so, we miss God's good and positive. God's wisdom gives us the eyes to see " . . . that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28). Not everything that happens in our lives is good, that we know from past experience. However, we also know that even bad and painful experiences teach us good and meaningful lessons when viewed through wisdom, through God's perspective.

Doesn't matter how rotten or bad the world has become, wisdom allows us to see every person as someone for whom Jesus died. Wisdom allows us to see a world of people needing real love. Wisdom allows us to take self and mold it into selfless. It allows us to become channels of the love of God in a dark and dying world because God's wisdom connects us to the power and love and perspective of the Father.

Wisdom is sometimes referred to as Godly Common Sense. Personally, I would like to call it something else: Godly Uncommon Sense! To God it is common sense to love a hateful world but to me that would be uncommon. To love an enemy is common for the Father but uncommon for me. To the Father, giving his only Son to an undeserving world is common sense, but to me, no way. My lifetime goal is to become more and more like the loving Father and less like the unloving me. It's to do those things that are uncommon for me and common for him. As a follower of Jesus I want to take the uncommon route which would make me less like the world and more like Jesus. That will only happen as I grow in wisdom.

"If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you" (James 1:5).

Father, I'm asking for wisdom today.

Excuse me, one of my divine interruptions just called and wants to go to lunch!