They Call It Understanding
A willingness to grow. The only growing I knew as a child was out of my control, and I wanted taller. My will didn’t have anything to do with it. Not only am I not growing taller today- I’m not even as tall as I used to be. And my willingness has a lot to do with any growth I experience. Growth is expansion, and that’s a challenge for anyone. It’s hard to be master of an expanding domain, so it’s sometimes easier to fence ourselves in and end the growth process right there. Just stop learning and changing, never listen to anything new and live within the confines of what we know.
But we miss a lot. I mean, when we confine ourselves. It’s safer to live with small thoughts in a small world, and we all long for security amid the uncertainties of our day. Don’t you sometimes feel sorry for the animals at the zoo? They probably receive better food and care than the wild kingdom, but the zoo is not what they were made for. Or the dog on a chain. I don’t have to speak his language to know he wants to be free. There’s a lot to be said for settling down, but there is a rambling spirit in every soul that must be broken before it accepts the bit and bridle.
The sailor must come home from the sea and the hunter from the hill, but we all can continue to grow spiritually, emotionally and in knowledge until the day we die if we will only unfurl the mainsail of our spirits and our minds. In other words, allow ourselves to be truly free, embracing change and willing to grow. Understanding that ours is not the only viewpoint or method of operation helps build the edifice of our lives. This is the point at which many stick. It can be frightening to challenge long-held beliefs, but it is not worth living an unexamined life. Cast off and lift off.
Growth is not and cannot be unaccountable. It is not synonymous with fiat. There is a difference between being free and being loose. Understanding carries with it the application of wisdom to choices. Evaluation of the life is always in order. As the years roll by, we find that we made mistakes all along the spectrum, and there’s a ditch on both sides of the road. Understanding is a willingness to grow, adjust and change where and when needed. It is not allowing yourself to be a captive of your personality. Many are chained in a prison cell of their own making, unwilling to be free.
It is not only permissible to consider revision, it is wise. Jesus said not all sheep were of the same flock and not all of His followers were of the twelve. The nature of concerned Christianity is to disallow other points of view though they be nearly lock-step with our own. Understanding is in order among those who claim to serve the same King. It will take an effort to stretch, a desire to learn and a willingness to grow. In the end, that growth will be a good thing when we have reached the stature of Christ becoming full men and women. We can help one another. There’s so much to learn.
Sterl
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