Reliable Guides

“Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear.” (Jeremiah 5:21 NLT)

Teaching can be extremely rewarding as well as deeply frustrating. Under ideal circumstances, it is like discovering a cave full of treasures and leading someone else to it. The joy of shared enlightenment is indescribably amazing. But sometimes those whom you guide to the cave cannot comprehend what you are showing them.

 

“There are three different kinds of brains, the one understands things unassisted, the other understands things when shown by others, the third understands neither alone nor with the explanations of others.” (The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli)

This inability to understand certain things is not connected to intelligence at all.  It is more a matter of intuitiveness, perception, and recognition. For example, I have a friend who can walk into a room and notice if a picture frame is even a little bit crooked. Until she points it out to me, I don’t even notice. Sometimes the unevenness is so imperceptible, that I just agree with her even though I cannot see the asymmetry. I trust her eye for such things, because she has been right too many times. I know from experience that if we were to bring out a laser leveler, it would confirm her assessment. Although I am intelligent, my brain cannot see what her brain sees unassisted. Sometimes I cannot even see when I am shown.

Fortunately, I have been given a different gift: the ability to discern character. I can sense when someone is genuine and trustworthy. I also know my strengths as well as my weaknesses. In my areas of deficiency, I am able to find reliable tutors who have good judgment. I depend on these guides to direct me through the murky parts of my life’s journey.