It’s easy to be sidetracked, especially in our world where novel ideas, theories, ideologies, activities, distractions, and lies pelt us 24/7. What is novel is not always what’s best or true. It may simply be the latest delusion. I need to live and love in a tradition that has not only spoken of wisdom but demonstrated it . . . not just months or years but centuries and millennia.

0ur friends did not need my thoughts or advice. There were professionals in their lives better equipped than I to provide that. What they needed was a safe place with faithful friends where they knew they were heard, appreciated, and cared for. They needed the gift of grace called listening.

Over the years our living room has been graced with numerous people who told us they had received answers—usually complete with proof texts—that in the end answered nothing. Some of them didn’t need to hear anything from us; what they yearned for was that we listen to them and in doing so affirm the significance of their existence, their struggle, their pain.

Many of them had read the books of experts but needed to hear the poetry of prophets and the fiction of the Redeemer.

Expertise helps us but if we are really to flourish we will need wisdom.

Margie and I discovered early in our marriage that we couldn’t go too long without taking time to evaluate how things were going. For some reason life kept spiraling out of control. Anyway, our calendar would be too full, we’d be stressed and irritated at each other, and so we’d plan a day to talk and pray and evaluate. It was always hard to find the time but essential before the stress and busyness and frustration got too far out of hand.