The older I get, the less I know.

     Most people like or even love surprises.  Some people love to create surprises even for people who don't like surprises.  Imagine, if you will, that you (guy) have been dating this cute young lady who makes your head swim.  Besides kissing and holding hands nothing has transpired in your relationship that could forewarn the announcement by her that she is pregnant!  "Who's the guy?!  I demand to know!!" would be the most common response.  Hearing, "God" isn't one of the top names.  But that's how surprises work.  One day you are a young 14 year old girl and the next day you are carrying the Son of God.  All in the day of us ordinary people.  Jeremiah was a young man of about the same age when God came to him.  Jeremiah was a good God fearing teenager who had aspirations of having his own goat herd, wife and 2.5 children.  What he didn't expect was a conversation with God where he was told to not marry, not have a home, not have a goat herd and not have 2.5 children.  God said, "Your life will be miserable as you prophesy doom and destruction followed by captivity to the people of your town."  Okay then...  Surprises seem to have elements of the unknown in them.  We don't know why God chooses us.  We don't even know where he is leading us.  Sometimes we say and do what he tells us to say and do and we don't know what the results will be or for whom they are intended. 
     The older I get the less I know.  After studying many years, gaining degrees, living in many different vocations and locations, I know this much; I don't know much.  The wisdom of the 80 year old lady living down the street who has the "perfect" garden blows me away!  The carpenter, now retired, watching me try to do a simple project, offers me advice and even help.  I take it because I have found out that the older I get the less I know.  Sorry, can't apply that to politicians or lawyers.  My ability to stop, look around, and then realize there is less I know for sure has grown with my age.  I revere the elderly who have a peace with not knowing.  Being content to just know that God knows what he is doing, when he is doing it and how he is doing it is enough for the day.  In Matthew we are told to take no thought for tomorrow for this day has sufficient things to think about.  Every 12 step program has the "One day at a time" clause for good cause.  It's not that we shouldn't seek to know more because we are also commanded to continually learn.  There is that innate part of us that is drawn to that which we don't understand.  The key is found in getting older and wiser.
     When I was younger and knew everything, my thoughts on a myriad of subjects was so scattered that few points were connected like they now are.  What I though was important wasn't really all that important.  What I passed off as unimportant were the most important life changing things.  People who were just another car on the freeway when I was young knew little and had less to offer me.  I've passed up more knowledge in my life than I can even imagine just because I didn't have my eyes open and my mouth shut.  The "wisdom of the ages" is there for a reason.  The older I get, the less I know.  But I do know that there are many times when I could have learned life's truths and been more of who God wanted me to be.  More of what God wanted me to do as well.  I don't regret much of my past.  I regret not knowing anything.  If I could go back I wouldn't do it any different because when I was young I knew everything.  If I could go forward I would urge all to have humility that comes from not knowing everything.  However, I have only today, the present.  So, I'll suffice it to say that I will relish today.  I will take time for the people in my life.  I will be silent more and talk less.  I'll not offer opinions as much and wait to be asked for any wisdom that I might have. 
     The older I get, the more thankful I am for the largeness of life.  The older I get the more peace I feel.  There is so much I don't know.  Yet, this I do know.  I know that Jesus loves me, that I am in his arms and that one day I'll go live with him in Heaven.  This I know to be true.  I've told my children, friends and other family this so they will know where to find me.  God has surprised me almost as many times as I've surprised others.  I'm not pregnant, nor am I a prophet.  But God isn't finished with me yet.  My task is to be leadable, teachable and accountable to God rather than to man.  That's what is required of every believer.  Maybe you learned something to day.