Down on the Corner

by Ben

I read Proverbs 7-9.

Lady Wisdom sounds an awful lot like Jesus in chapter eight. "Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, and set Sky firmly in place, I was there" (v. 22-28?). This wisdom is represented in the Law and is demonstrated through the life of Christ. Yet, we continually miss the point. We follow Madame Whore instead of listening to Lady Wisdom. Very likely, we even know what we ought to do. Why do we lose sight of God or more directly, why do we turn our back on God? Do we doubt His power and ability?

I know that I have been worrying a lot recently. Worry. Matthew 6 tells us all the reasons why we shouldn't worry. Yesterday, as I thought about the upcoming summer at Wakonda, I worried about my lack of staff (actually, this has been a continual worry for me). Despite my best efforts, we are still very short on lifeguards and male counselors. Of course, thinking and worrying about this gets my thinking into a snowball effect pattern. If this doesn't happen, this will happen, and that will happen. And pretty soon, I've got an ulcer.

Yesterday, I even sat down and read as many verses about worry as I could find. Yet, here I am, still worried about it. Not following Lady Wisdom. I have not felt able to trust God with this aspect of my life, no matter how much I want to give it up to Him. I want to "walk up the street to a life with meaning."