In my younger days, preparing for an exam often involved reviewing materials I had previously studied. The British word we used to describe the process is “revising”. As I consider the lessons of the past, I am not sure I always remember them with the same intensity and conviction I had when they first landed. Even as I push myself to revise, I find myself questioning my understanding and resolve.
In my effort to recall, I am embracing the following lesson whispers.
When one goes over familiar material, read with fresh eyes. Reviewing using one cliff notes of emotions, conclusions, and outcomes may seem efficient. The warning I have is that my initial view is rarely complete. Using the summary of my reactions then often misses the heart of the lessons which only emerged with time.
Remember and relive the experience with an open heart. Use the process of learning and growing from the past to build new ways of working and walking. The emotional edge which helped me improve my step is often dulled with time. Giving permission to one’s heart and mind to experience the highs and lows again is more than a regift. It is an opportunity to see life’s lessons from the vantage point of a new day filled with the knowledge that one has made it through.
As I listen, with my head and heart, I find myself seeing the past and the present in a new way. With the benefit of a broader and more complete view, I see the ways Divinity was active and involved. Wisdom is more than the discovery of truth. Wisdom is the knowledge which is born in experience in how to use truth in the messy and chaotic moments of your life and mine.
I know my Divine debt is growing. My repayment plan is a life lives with compassion, inclusion, and love. In context, I find myself falling in line with Kings to the Psalmist’s call. “When they hear what you have to say, God, all earth’s kings will say ‘Thank you.’” (Psalm 138.4)
