Proverbs 12:15

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

When I was 18 years old, just a young freshman in college, I will never forget what an eventful year it was for me. I learned a lot that year, college books were expensive, darks didn’t wash well with whites, Ramen noodles and Mountain Dew were a great combination for breakfast, college girls were way cuter than high school but still an enigma, Friday morning classes were meant to be avoided, and I learned how it felt to be a woman in child birth. You see, my first year of college found me sick in bed with the flu for days. I had this excruciating pain in my lower right side and it wouldn’t go away. Turned out my appendix had ruptured and I was rushed to the emergency room. I later was told by a female friend who had hers taken out, that the pain was similar to that of being in labor. It was a moment in my life I will never forget. I could’ve died that year had it not been for two wonderful girls in my dorm, my two angels, who periodically checked up on me, fed me soup, took my temperature and finally encouraged me and actually demanded me to go to the campus doctor. At first I didn’t want to see the doctor, I thought I’d be tough, man up and make it through but my friends knew better and with some tough love , told me what I didn’t want to hear but I realized they were right, something was definitely wrong and if I didn’t listen to them and go, it wasn’t going to end well. I learned a lot that year and it wasn’t just knowing what it feels like to birth a child. I learned that sometimes I don’t know it all and sometimes I’ve got to let go of my own foolishness and pride and instead of doing things my way, actually listen to wisdom when it calls out and learn to heed the warning signs. I wish I got that lesson right all the time but unfortunately I still don’t at times and I’ve had to suffer consequences because of it, especially when it comes to relationships. Why do I think I can do things on my own strength and fail to listen to the advice of others or God when all along I’m self sabotaging myself and hurting the ones I love? God help me, God help us all to learn to humble ourselves, trust you, and listen to Godly advice before it’s too late. Help us to heed the warning signs before the poison seeps too deep we find ourselves once again on the operating table of life, when all along it was never supposed to be that way.