As we were sitting in the car, waiting to meet someone (benefit of cleaning/selling extra stuff), we were listening to the radio. Youngest son was playing Minecraft, but stopped and said, “How do they know how old Jesus is?” I was confused. “What?!” “Well, the song says Jesus be 95.” I burst out laughing… “No, it’s ‘Jesus be Magnified,’ not 95.” “Well, that makes more sense. I was wondering why they kept saying he was 95. Maybe it was some code or something.” We’ve heard the song on the radio many times and he has never said anything before. He always assumed they were saying 95, and probably wondered each time how they knew his age & thinking that he must have died before he was 95.

How many times do we misunderstand, but don’t seek clarity? Misheard lyrics are one thing, but we often don’t really hear people. Are we listening to their message or are we “multi tasking” … thinking about what we will say next or something completely different? It’s like a kid saying, “mom, mom, mom, mom (x100).” After a while, the kid either gives up or someone else in the room demands your attention. For some reason, most people are nervous about asking for clarification. They just go along with their version of ‘Jesus be 95,’ and wonder what it means. Seeking to understand isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s showing that you want to learn and comprehend what is being said. How many times does a teacher ask if there are questions and the room (or Zoom) is silent? Trust me, as an introvert, asking questions is like shining a spotlight on my head. I’m not a fan. But also I don’t like the feeling of not knowing what’s going on.

What’s one way you can seek to understand this week? Maybe it’s in a current conversation or maybe it’s something you’ve always wondered. What’s your “Jesus be 95?”

I wish you peace on your journey of enough. To me, peace feels like a warm hug on a sunny day. Take a deep breath and have a wonderful day!