Ask for wisdom!

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it."
James 1:5

That's exciting, isn't it? Knowing that if we ask for wisdom God will generously give it to us? The rascal in me would say, "Why didn't I ask for wisdom long ago?" and "How will I know when I have it?"  I think, as we grow in faith (possibly corresponding to growing in age) we notice that things may not freak us out like they once did. We've seen this pattern before, we know it will work out somehow. We've been through a trial like this and it turned out fine. When these experiences pile up behind us, we may breathe a little easier when a new one comes along. Is that wisdom? Is that persevering through trials, as James mentions earlier in this reading? God gives us wisdom generously as God does everything, little by little, bit by bit, so that we barely notice a change in ourselves--until we need it. Then we can just pull it out and marvel that it is there at all. It's kind of like when you put Rhodes rolls out to rise before you go to bed, and you are flabbergasted when you wake up and see them all huge and risen! Wow, that! God works so subtly, yet remarkably, through our trials that we're not even aware of the wisdom and perseverance we are being given until it's time to use it.  Can we take some quiet time and notice the mysteriously subtle, yet unmistakeable work of God within us? Love, heidi