Got It

Two weeks ago, I went out into the southern Nevada wilderness.  Even as I look back, I find that my awareness of judgmental conversations has forever been altered.  The teaching was a combination of information transfer, facts, and firsthand experience, life.  This is not the first time that others have tried to instruct and share.  Yet, for years I did not get it!  In hindsight, I do not understand why the lessons were difficult to grasp or embrace.  Whatever the reasons then, the present is very different.  There is a time for judgment.  Being aware, intentional, and open to candid feedback about what one is communicating is crucial. 
As I walk, thinking I have “got it”, I find that practicing the new disciples is crucial.  It does not come easy, at least for me.  I struggle to consistently apply the new insights.  Awareness is not enough.  Conviction is insufficient.  One must embrace, adopt, and exercise this awareness to keep it fresh and relevant. 
With the dawn, I find myself reflecting on the echoes of those wise old men and women before me.  “Moses, for instance, said, 'Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family.  Listen to every word he speaks to you.'”  (Acts 3.22)  Others have given me similar counsel.  Even as I think I have it, I lose the plot.  Being open to listen is an important step, but there is more.
In the wilderness, I was willing to change in the spirit of learning.  Even as I listen to truth filled wisdom, growth is dependent on my willingness to do something different in the moment at hand.  As I embrace change, I begin to hear wisdom's truth with my heart and soul.
In the wilderness, I was willing to practice the new teachings with another.  I did not get it always right.  Failure was ok as long as I was willing to continue practicing and learning.
Today is a gateway to a new future.  Entering requires one's openness to new lessons, willingness to change, and practice.