OK, this picture fell out of an old file the other evening. It's Harriet and me on the day I received the Master of Divinity Degree with Languages degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Yes, it was a long time ago. 1982 to be exact. Do the math. Like 39 years ago. It happened just in time for a Throwback Thursday jewel. And, it reminded me of God's goodness and Harriet's patience as our journey out of the business world and into ministry began. What a journey. We are thankful.
After The Citadel I did a five year stint with a large bank in North Carolina and two and a half years as Chief Financial Officer of a large county hospital. Our call to ministry was perceived over a period of months and finally resulted in our move to Wake Forest, NC, and our educational pursuits at Southeastern. By graduation day I was also serving as the Pastor at Woodland Baptist Church, several miles outside of Wake Forest. Our daughter Elizabeth was seven years old and son Brian was four. Harriet worked at the local power company. It was truly the beginning of our faith journey and life calling. We remember those years with gratitude and fondness.
You may know my sermon about living in the past. You know, life is like rising in a car. If you stare at the rear-view mirror you'll drive in a ditch. But, this Throwback Thursday social media craze is really a healthy way to learn from the past. It's just a glance. and, that's my other sermon. Effective leaders are life-long learners. When that picture dropped onto my desk the other evening it reminded me of a truth that challenges me every single day. That day, the day of seminary graduation, the day I received my Masters Degree diploma, wasn't the fulfilling end of my life and ministry learning. It was actually the beginning.
Solomon wrote much about life learning. Traditional myth recognizes him as the wisest man who ever lived. His Proverbs are interwoven with texts about personal growth and development, our life education. In the first verses of Proverbs 1 he wrote, "Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance" (Proverbs 1: 5, ESV). The lessons of life are diverse and many. Remember what Solomon advised---
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Proverbs 18: 15, ESV
The rear-view mirror is OK today. It's throwback Thursday. Now, learn something.