When My Words Come Back to Teach Me

A dear college friend came to visit this week, along with her husband.

This girl has a trap for a memory.

She digs through it and pulls out things I have LONNNNNNNG forgotten.

I could blame it on the "ziqna and seba" (old age and gray hairs), but she's the same age with similar gray hairs, which, by the way, we both make bold attempts at covering.

I always start to worry a little bit when she starts talking about things she attributes to coming out of my mouth, particularly when it comes to advice I may, or may not, have given. The randomness of such tidbits often has me speechless, and mentally saying to myself,

"I said THAT?!?"

It happens almost every time we're together...and she did not fail me this past weekend, once again.

Most times, my words come back to bite me. Sometimes, albeit rarely, I'm impressed with myself.

I know I'm about to be quoted, when she starts a sentence with, "I learned this from Peg ___________________ ..."

Truth is, if it's worthy of being quoted, I'm generally spouting someone else, making sure to give them due credit (unless they come from that unknown, but wise, great sage, Anonymous).

So, just as the two were about to head out the door, continuing on their Fantastic Summer Adventure, it happened. I honestly can't remember the context, but we must have been talking about praying over others and sometimes coming up short of what to pray.

Side note: this happens often for me. In fact, January's Cuba trip found me praying with women and running out of words. Mind blank. I begged the Lord for words to pray.

Then, there it was, "I learned this from Peg (did she really have to add "years ago?") that when you don't know what to pray for someone, you always just rely on asking for these "p's": God's Presence, Provision, Purpose, and Peace. It works every time!"

"I said THAT?!?"

Then I remembered, I had! During the years of preparing for my master's degree in counseling, I had taken an upper level course on The Life and Letters of Paul. The purpose of the class was to look at Paul's words to see how he counseled others within the church, using his God-taught theology. One of the papers I wrote covered Paul's theology of prayer. The four "p's-of-prayer my friend quoted were excerpted; and, I had totally forgotten my own advice!

Somehow, at one time the truth I'd learned had truly inspired me, but it hadn't taken full root, sprouted, and become fruitful. I knew I needed to dig out that old paper and study through it again.

This little incident has caused me no small amount of pondering. I have a tub full of journals. They are filled with Scriptural lessons. I have a blog that has 412 entries. I have notebooks and filing cabinets filled with sermon notes, some of my own messages, and random writings I've collected. Then there are the book cases filled with materials I've read.

So! Much! Truth!

The question is -

How much have I really LEARNED? 

Learned, in the sense that I've clung to the lessons and allowed them to influence and change me. Learned, in that the principles are a part of my day-to-day living.
Learned, in the sense that I've integrated them into ME...and they pour fourth as natural as my breathing.

May my words always be conjoined with ACTION...For then I have truly learned life lessons.