Wisdom Hides in Plain Site

Wisdom often hides in plain sight. So often in my life I look for wisdom in the writing of great teachers, preachers, philosophers, and thinkers. I expect their words to be the most profound, to have the most impact, even to effect the greatest change in my thinking or living. However, I recently had an experience which reminded that wisdom does not have to be mined from texts but gleaned from conversations.

Though it may seem contradictory to my last thought, I quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Every man is my superior in some way, and in that, I learn from him." Recently I had the opportunity to take a road trip with a relatively new friend to watch a baseball game. From 4:30pm to 2am I had the undivided honesty of my new friends perspective on so many facets of life. As he spoke on finances, marriage, ministry, baseball; told stories from his childhood and young adult life; I could feel myself growing in some way. The mixture of street smarts, life lessons, and faith proved to be a well spring of knowledge for me. As someone who loves to talk, I thoroughly enjoyed listening. I offered thoughts, he offered perspective; I offered questions, he offered practical truths. There was nothing formal about the conversation — just two friends enjoying a road trip.

Even more than what my friend said, I was excited by what he evoked. From our conversation arose thoughts and insights — wisdom, if you will allow me to use the term — from my own heart and mind. Things I never knew I understood, phrases I have never uttered, vantage points I had never seen began to take shape.

I have ruminated over the conversation many times in the last few days and have concluded that wisdom hides in plain sight. It has potential to arise in the most casual of conversations. It can even be provoked to arise within our own hearts. The question then is not, how do we gain wisdom, but are we noticing it? And if we do, are we careful to follow it?