Do you have 30 days left? Nobody really knows the answer to that question - unless of course you are a condemned man walking down death row about to be executed. I want to live my life as if I might die at any minute with the belief and hope that I have many minutes ahead of me here on earth. Either way, when I die I know I'm going to heaven. What could you do for 30 days that will impact the rest of your days?

Wisdom is something most folks would love to have more of. In the Book of Proverbs there are 30 "Sayings of Wise" contained within Chapters 22:17-24:34. I've been reading one Chapter of Proverbs each day and I will continue this endeavor indefinitely. My Grandmother lived to be almost 103 years old. When Gram talked, we listened. She was alive during 3 centuries, the wisdom and knowledge in that little lady's head (she was shrinking with age!) was huge. If I want wisdom, I have to listen, learn and live what I have learned. At the end of these 30 days, I will tell you a little more about the wisdom of Grandma Larrabee. Each day I will study and reflect upon the wisdom contained in the "30 Sayings of the Wise" and share my thoughts with you. I know we will both grow wiser with a greater capacity for actions of love. Let me add a little nugget from Proverbs 22:6,  "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

.Today is Day 1 on our wisdom journey. The text for today is taken from The Message Bible followed by the same passage in the Amplified Bible.

Proverbs 22:17-21 The Message (MSG)

The Thirty Precepts of the Sages
Don’t Move Back the Boundary Lines

17-21 Listen carefully to my wisdom;
    take to heart what I can teach you.
You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within;
    you’ll give it bold expression in your speech.
To make sure your foundation is trust in God,
    I’m laying it all out right now just for you.
I’m giving you thirty sterling principles--
    tested guidelines to live by.
Believe me—these are truths that work,
    and will keep you accountable
    to those who sent you.

Grandma Larrabee was dispensing wisdom to children for as long as I can remember. This is a picture of Gram on her 100th birthday with my daughter Beauty. Her name is Michelle but she will always be her Dad's Beauty! Children soak up the time we spend with them. Sowing seeds of wisdom will bear fruit in time.

Here is a brief description of my thoughts regarding the First Saying:

1. Listen and  apply. When you learn something wise you need to live what you have learned. Practice what has been preached to you.

2. Honey in your heart is even sweeter on your lips. Speak the goodness within you. There is a sign in our Youth Center that says: "Positive words only are spoken, negative words make people feel broken." Speak honey boldly!

3. One of my favorite all time songs is: "Trust and Obey." Your first unconditional trust has to be with God. If you don't believe in God, ask Him to show Himself to you.I trust that He will. God never changes, He's rock solid always "Trust-able." Am I always "Trust-able?"

4. The history of well learned and time tested principles is here for your perusal. It's a choice to accept or reject. Wisdom is precious and is here for you freely. You are precious and God's love is freely given to you.

5. These truths are absolute. Your honesty in dealing with others should be absolutely rock solid. The words of your heart should be like a river of love that is honest and true.If you are not truthful with your neighbor, you are not truthful with God.

I'm soaking up Saying 1. I'm going to live my soaking by pouring the sweetness of truth out of my heart.  There is a more excellent way of life in love for 30 days and all days. God is my foundation and I desire to be rock solid with my Redeemer because He lives.

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.

  "Daddy, what's an Obscurity Tree?" Asked the Heart Farmers Daughter. The Heart Farmer smiled with his eyes and his heart as he looked earthward to see his little girl. He paused for a moment as if he was realizing for the first time how fast his daughter was growing up. The big hearted farmer was experiencing a beautiful mind reflection, an intimate knowing that his daughter was hungering for the deeper meanings of life. The Farmer with the huge heart puffed up his chest as if his heart had just grown even larger and said: "Have a seat right here in this Adirondack Chair my little Beauty and I'll tell you the story of  the Obscurity Tree."

"Once upon a minute, there was an obscure seed tucked away into the darkness of a lonely womb. Some folks would call this place the womb of mother earth. The seed had been planted there by father time and would be birthed in obscurity. The womb was a place of struggle and time was needed for the seed to grow. The very beginning of the seed was very obscure and unseen to most folks. The womb hid the growth of the seed from the naked eye.

 Time rewarded the seed at different stages of it's growth. Soon the seed would experience the emergence from the womb as it celebrated its first birthday. The emergence was accompanied by a new name. The seed was now called a sprout. During the emergence, the seed would spring forth from the womb as a new birth. The sprout was still very obscure and unable to live without support.  The tree was in its life stage of infancy and with a little coaxing and care it would grow deeper roots and stronger limbs.

Time passed, the sun shined, the rain poured, seasons changed and the sprout grew. From infancy, the young obscure sprout would grow into its pre-tree stage. The young sprout who was now a pre-tree began to call attention to itself and even sometimes make demands on the other trees of the forest. 'I want more sunlight! Gimme some more room!' Storms of life change would bring pain, adversity and misunderstanding. A few of the older trees would blow an air of arrogance from their lofty boughs of wisdom. The pre-tree was still very vulnerable and easily influenced. As a young pre-tree, the damage done at this stage could have devastating effects resulting in the carnage of many trees in the future. If the pre-tree could be kept healthy and uninjured it would continue to grow.

Eventually, the pre-tree would become a treenager. This was potentially the most exciting time of a tree's life! New buds, new boughs, new roots, new seasons - the opportunity to escape obscurity seemed to abound with every breeze in the forest! The temptations around them caused a selfishness which made them want to shed their obscurity the way they shed their leaves every fall. Many of the trees were infatuated with recognition and prominence as they strove to escape the seemingly barrenness of obscurity. The strivings created winds of change and the gentle breeze of unity in the forest turned into a tsunami of selfish individuality.

The trees with deeper roots maintained their obscurity and formed solid, meaningful and lasting relationships. They grew together as a team. They knew the secret to life was becoming one in unconditional love. They knew they were loved because someone first loved them. To be obscure was to blend in with the efforts of the others. They desired to do what was best for the whole forest. The young obscurity trees began to understand deeply the wisdom of the elder trees;

There is a season to stand tall above the other trees, 
There is a season to stay in the shade. 
There is a season to stretch toward the heavens,
There is a season to support others as they stretch.
 There is a season to be strong, 
There is a season to lean on other trees. 
There is a season to be concealed, 
There is a season to be revealed. 
There is a season to be distinguished, 
There is a season to be obscure." A season of rest precedes a season of growth.

The Heart Farmer finished his story and smiled at his daughter and asked:
"Do you understand obscurity my darling Beauty?" The preteen girl looked up at her dad and said:
 "I think so Daddy. Being obscure is like washing feet, sometimes you wash and sometimes you sit."
 The Heart Farmer laughed so loud he scared the hawks out of the trees. He scooped his daughter up into his diesel arms and hugged her to his heart as he smiled and said: "I love you Beauty to the stars and back!"

What's the moral to this story?
You decide!
Wisdom is gained through knowledge.
Selfish children become selfish adults.
Wounded children become wounding adults.
 It takes time for all of us to grow.
Patience is a womb, love is unconditional.
Go do something nice for somebody.
Be patient with growing children.

Be patient as a cactus flowers. Be patient with children.