If you had the opportunity to have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why? I cannot imagine just one; it would have to be a series! One dinner would those dead and alive that gave me a wisdom gift that changed me from the inside out. The list keeps growing. Some would recognize the reason for the invitation. Others would be surprised. I doubt they had any idea that their ideas were ever heard.
As I reflect and imagine the dinners, with the group that shared wisdom, I would want them to know the following.
Gifts of wisdom are never squandered. They may take time to grow in my life. They can sit, waiting to be discovered and understood, for long periods of time. The fact that they were a gift allows me to keep them without guilt or remorse. I may wonder why I left them so long when I discover their truth, yet the fact that they were there in the first place is a testimony to the way God works in others.
Gifts of wisdom are priceless. I may not have said anything about the gift. This was and is my mistake! I would want to remind them of the wonder and awe I have in hindsight about their willingness to share. It is at the heart of living at one’s best. They showed it to me; I hope that I can show the same to others.
I will try to honor their trust and wisdom in the context of being human. Paul’s words are a great reminder. “Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master’s body. You wouldn’t take the Master’s body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.” (1 Corinthians 6.15) In short, I remembered the moment of sharing. I want to remember in order that I can understand the wisdom with my heart. Everything follows from there.
It would be a dinner of remembering and celebrating; a reflection of the Hope they planted within.
