Month: July 2022

The picture you see represents another Target trip where I was buying things for my classroom. (Everyone knows teachers spend their own money on supplies.)

While the sweetest woman is checking out, a man walks up behind me and starts loading his things on the belt. As she is ringing up 24 folders, she looks at me and says, “teacher?” I laugh and say yes and she continues with the other things I’ve got. The man behind me starts asking me where I teach and he says he is a Phoenix Police officer and fills in as an SRO on different campuses. We talk back and forth and the he asks if school is paying for these supplies. I laugh and say no. He proceeds to take out his wallet and hand me $30 in cash. I was shocked, and he insisted that I take it. When the supplies I bought only came up to $10, I tried to give him the $20 back and he said “no, I know you spend a lot and it will go to your classroom.”

Meanwhile, the sweet cashier and I were almost in tears and she was yelling across the aisle to the other cashier telling her what happened. It made my day, and maybe my school year. Such kindness from a stranger who sticks his neck out every day for me and others. I am just so thankful.

Do you know people who have to know everything? Like every detail because the NEED to know. And then they tell you what you already knew? Yeah, me too.

If I’m honest, I’ve always struggled with these people. They ask a lot of questions and it can feel intrusive but I’m not good at not answering because I also don’t want to be rude. I’ve been known to be more trusting than I should and I can go deep fast. Although maybe not a bad quality, not great when you don’t put boundaries in place and aren’t wise with who you share information with. That’s what knowledge is- information.

The definition from a quick google search says, “facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education, the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.” So by definition knowledge isn’t a bad thing. We need to know how to read, how to write, specific skills to do our jobs, how to do laundry and cook an egg. But when does knowledge cross the line? When does it cause harm?

I would say that knowledge becomes dangerous when you use it for your gain- to look smart, in the know, or popular. When you know the information and you share it. Christians have been doing this for years and calling it a “prayer request.” That’s not what it is. It is hurtful. My favorite is when someone tells me something about my kids or my job like it is news, but I already knew it. People use knowledge to gain position, to one up, to make sure they have the upper hand. Maybe people use knowledge so they feel like they have something to offer because of insecurity?

Wisdom, on the other hand, is something different. One definition says, “the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application or experience, knowledge, good judgment.” That word soundness- it says everything to me. It is “the quality of being based in valid reason or good judgment.” In short, wisdom is taking knowledge and exercising good judgment.

We live in an age where knowledge is at our fingertips 24/7. Don’t know, just ask Siri or Alexa. Google takes a half of a second to give you an answer. We are inundated with knowledge and news and it can be amazing but it can also be terrifying. I believe our society is filled with knowledge but lacks wisdom. And don’t misread like I think I am wise, because I am not.

I tell my kids and students to make wise decisions, meaning use the knowledge you have to make the sound decision. I am not raising idiots. I hope that my kids use knowledge not for power but to inform and choose wisdom. (And I am not naive to think they won’t at times, be idiots.)

I hope I become wise. I hope I measure my words and don’t use knowledge “just because;” that would be reckless. I hope our society takes a turn towards wisdom. There are a lot of keyboard warriors right now and there is a lot of half truth floating around from all sides of every issue and argument. What if we all stopped and asked if what we were saying or doing was wise? What would the world be like? What would our communities be like?

James 1:5 says “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God— who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly— and it will be given to you.” I don’t know about you, but I’m asking for wisdom. Sometimes it is wisdom to speak and sometimes it is wisdom to remain quiet. I would much rather by quietly wise than loudly foolish.

Also, there’s a lot going on. Personally, there are people I love fighting cancer, taking in foster kids and babies, looking for jobs, fighting mental illness, fighting for their kids, fighting for marriages, and finding a new way in a life they once knew. If those are the things going on in my circles, I would imagine you have things in your circles as well. I don’t have wise answers to any of life’s problems but I can pray and consider it a privilege. If you need prayer, please let me know. I would love nothing more than to pray for you.