Wisdom and Folly

(Gotta love 8th graders. I had given some instructions that didn’t sit well with one boy. He raised his hand and asked me why the class had to do it the way I had just said. I gave a reason. He raised his hand again. Same question. I responded with my same reason. He raised his hand again and said, “I don’t mean to be rude, but . . .” Oh, OK. You don’t mean to be rude, but if I let you, you will ask me 12 more times until I change my mind and let you do what you want to do. Sheesh!)

My lunch period had come, finally, and I opened up the single serve yogurt I had brought. It exploded all over me. Weird, I thought. But I got myself cleaned up and started eating. It might have tasted a bit tangy . . . But I was hungry and I love yogurt topped with carob chips.

Since I was covered with splotches of dried yogurt, it was good I only had one more period. I checked out and went home.

By 6pm, I knew I was in BIG trouble. I am well aware of the signs of food poisoning. I was on my way to a very bad night.

I got the one dog in his cage and I begged the other one to follow me as I crawled up the stairs, dragging my Farberware Stainless Steel 4 qt. sauce pan behind me. I fell into bed fully clothed.

I was right. It was a bad night. And a bad couple of days.

A few days later, I was asking the Lord, “What about all that, Lord?” It was such a major disruption to my week and my important plans. (Although, you know I am fully convinced that everything is always God’s Plan A.)

I asked the Lord this.

Proverbs 9 speaks of the way of wisdom and the way of folly. What my heart seemed to resonate with as I read through this Proverb was I had chosen the way of folly that day when I ate the yogurt. I believe God had clearly given me warning signs that I had ignored. I was hungry. I love lime yogurt with carob chips and, oh well, how bad can it be. I’ll take my chances. A bit too cavalier, don’t you think?!

Wisdom calls out every day, and so does folly. Both say to the simple, “turn in here.”

Did I choose folly that day? I think so. The signs were there. I disregarded them. Instead, I turned in at folly. I don’t want to do that again. For many reasons – Farberware is not meant to be used that way, being one – but most importantly:

• I want to be a woman of faith who turns in at the way of wisdom, not at the way of folly.
• I want to be a woman of faith who watches for and listens to God’s warnings to me and heeds them.
• I want to be a woman of faith who cares more about obedience to the Holy One than whether I get to eat the yummy yogurt with carob chips. And not so yummy as it turns out.

Where will you “turn in” today? God will guide you. You just have to pay attention to His signs.

Funny end to this story . . . My awesome neighbor said to me, “So, it exploded on you and it tasted tangy – and you ATE IT ANYWAY!”

Where was he as I was shoveling it into my mouth last Thursday?