In our last article, we wrote about wisdom in regard to silence and speech, as well as the appropriate choice of words and timing by any wise person, who never rushes; we then highlighted how one can select suitable words to rationally edify and offer goodness and peace to everyone, speaking honestly, hurting no one. Today, we continue writing about wisdom exemplified in situations and characters.
Wisdom is exceedingly important in man’s life, it is a safety valve ensuring the best outcomes, as people need wisdom in every situation that comes their way in life, hence it represents the source of their happiness and that of those around them if they happen to possess it, but if they lack it, that will be a source of misery and sorrow.
Let us begin today by presenting wise characters in certain situations and words that impacted and changed people’s destinies.
Wisdom in Situations:
I begin, however, with this amazing story that brought to my mind repeatedly these words of Scripture: “With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding.” Also: “The LORD by wisdom founded the earth …” Therefore, great is that wise man, who waits patiently until he receives some wisdom from God the Omniscient, the Omnipotent.
One morning, a man found a cocoon, and started observing it, to see the butterfly coming out. As he was watching it for several hours, the cocoon started shaking, the butterfly punctured the cocoon, while struggling to push itself out through the puncture. At that moment it seemed helpless, and no longer capable of making any further progression, therefore the man decided to help the weak butterfly, trusting in his wisdom. He cut the remaining part of the cocoon with scissors, then the butterfly got out easily indeed, yet with a swollen body and withered wings!
He continued monitoring the butterfly, expecting the growth of its wings so it can fly, but nothing happened, it remained incapable of flying, furthermore it will surely spend the rest of its life crawling!
What the man didn’t realize, in spite of his love and kindness, is that the cocoon while it enveloped the butterfly, with its tiny puncture, was the only means that would enable the butterfly to hatch and fly, for the cocoon would inject into its body a liquid that would have strengthened its wings and enabled it to fly, as soon as it managed to hatch.
Life works in much the same manner; we have to perceive its mystery of wisdom, so that we, and those around us might not be crawl around in its sorrows and sufferings, instead rejoicing and delighting. As Job the righteous says: “For the price of wisdom is above rubies.”
A Mother’s Wisdom:
Let us see how a mother’s wisdom enlightened the whole world.
“Oh, you fool, you stupid dunce!” Those were the words heard by Thomas from his father who used to abuse him severely, even whipping him publicly in the street in front of the neighbors in the city, by way of disciplining him. However, God recompensed him with a wise, virtuous mother.
Thomas Edison was a peculiar, very curious child and he was always asking questions, he was also interested in everything reaching his hands.
At the age of seven, he partially lost his hearing as an after-effect of the scarlet fever to which he fell prey, and he left school, of which he had attended only three months, because he was a troublemaker to teachers, so one teacher kicked him out of school, suspecting his insanity and doubting his ability to study.
Little Edison was truly affected and as soon as he entered his house, he burst into tears telling his mother what happened, so she went to meet that teacher and converse with him, for she was definitely persuaded that Thomas was a brilliant-minded and highly intelligent boy, that was why he was asking too many questions. So how could the teacher describe him as stupid?! Then the teacher answered her saying that he hadn’t noticed any glimpse of his intelligence!
Hence, she took her son by the hand and walked off, deciding to teach him herself, and to make him a great man. Thus, the mother quit her work as a teacher and took good care of her child, offering him kindness and appreciation and that was how his self-confidence was restored.
At the beginning, she had tried to teach him utilizing traditional teaching methods, but soon she found out that this way didn’t suit his mentality, so she let him learn his own way. She helped him read and study, also helping him read the history of Greeks, Romans and the Parton Science Dictionary. He also studied the biography of Newton, the British scientist, American history, the Holy Scriptures and Shakespeare’s plays. He loved to read the biography of the Italian scientist, Galileo Galilee.
Thomas was interested in reading everything he could get his hands on, either books or encyclopedias, newspapers or magazines. His mother was always saving money to help him buy secondhand books and she helped him develop his skills: “I’d not be exaggerating in saying she developed the whole community as well as all of humanity to this day!!”
At the age of thirteen, he started working, cultivating vegetables and selling them in the neighborhood, after which he asked his mother’s permission to sell newspapers on trains, which enabled him to read all the newspapers and magazines.
His first laboratory was an old baggage carriage on a train, yet a fire was ignited in it, leading the train inspector to slap him, thus causing a complete loss of hearing. He was sad and desperate when he returned home after the train guard had thrown him and his tools on the platform. However his mother encouraged him, to rekindle his hope, so that his determination was restored and he continued his experiments in the basement of his house.
Besides, he didn’t give up because of his hearing disability, he rather continued his experiments and invented the phonograph, then the electric light bulb, which was the most significant of his inventions, illuminating the darkness of the whole globe.
At the beginning, people accused him of insanity, later on, inventions were successively extended and he advanced to the world 1000 inventions. But he never forgot the favor, love and encouragement of his mother, so he said: “It is likely that the course of my life would have been changed if it had not been for this woman, my mother, for if not for her, I would not have been born, and without her help I would not have learned anything. Everything is due to her favor; because of her I became what I am now, because she is my architect, my teacher and my inspiration. I worked, succeeded, lived for her sake, and I also offered her and all of humanity the essence of my thought and my striving.”
That was the child described by his father as a fool and a stupid dunce, while his teacher doubted his sanity, the child whose hearing disability and his gloom were vanquished by his mother’s wisdom! That is the kind of woman who is capable of dissipating the darkness of her community!
A wise person offers in word and deed:
Thus a wise person loves both through word and action, the kind of love that teaches and develops the personality.
Just like the wise love of an eagle in teaching its youngster how to fly; it begins by carrying its chick in its beak, then flies at high altitude, and afterwards leaves it alone in the air! God, how hard it is for the little bird! Yet as soon as it begins to fall, the eagle hastens to fly under it to catch it, carrying it on its outspread wings, only to let it go again, and so on, this training course is repeated again and again, until the moment at which it needs the wings of its parent no more and can fly proficiently. At that time only, it is taught to be self-reliant in life, looking for food to support itself.
Imagine, what tough and severe words we’d have used to describe that eagle if it left its chick – insanely – in the nest trying to fly on its own. As a result, it would fall to its death or else break its bones!!
How disappointed the eagle would have been, if we assume that due to natural fear for its youngster, the eagle had put the chick on the ground, then pushed it with its beak to urge it to fly!!!
It is an unusual stance, which is sometimes required of the wise person! Truly, how great are the words of Solomon the wise: “For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.”
Concerning the wisdom of some characters in certain situations and quotations, we will continue our journey next time.
