When stubbornness, indifference, apathy, refusing to listen, and Satan’s many other impediments to open-mindedness blind me to where my path leads, I hope to see what is seen by my own Balaam’s burro
Lawyers ply their trade with words, but not always wise words, which was not the case with famed attorney and consummate wordsmith Max Ehrmann, author of “Desiderata,” an inspirational prose poem in which every word contributes to the collective wisdom of the work’s ultimate message.
When the world is too much with me, and — paraphrasing poet William Wordsworth —getting and spending and laying waste my powers stymie efforts to become a better human being, few items in my repertoire of memorized works are as therapeutic as Desiderata, especially the lines from it reminding me to “go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there is in silence.”
Another line from Desiderata advises, “Listen to others, even the dull and ignorant…” which brings to mind the Old Testament story of Balaam, the wise prophet who wouldn’t listen to his dull and ignorant burro.
As the story goes, Moabite king Balak was confronted by the Israelites, freed of Egyptian bondage and marching to the Promised Land.
The advancing horde seemed to “cover the face of the earth,” in Balak’s words, and he summoned Balaam, with hopes that the riches his emissaries brought with them would induce the prophet to put a curse on the invaders.
The ascetic hermit declined their lucrative offers, but that night The Lord commanded him: “Go with them; but only what I bid you, that shall you do.”
What little is known of Balaam, as set forth in the Old Testament Book of Numbers, portrays him as a seer who didn’t always see what he was supposed to see.
While journeying to Moab, his dumb donkey stopped suddenly and refused to go on, having seen what his wise master didn’t: an angel with a drawn sword, blocking the way. Cruelly, Balaam beat his mount, and swore, "Were a sword in my hand I would kill thee.”
Blessed by his Maker with the temporary ability to speak, the # asked, “What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me?”
Suddenly, Balaam saw what the donkey saw, and hastening to heed the Lord’s command, completed his journey and warned the Moabites that they were in for a thrashing by the Israelites.
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I have known a few donkeys, none of whom talked, and if they had, I probably wouldn’t have listened, just as I have failed often to listen to wise people, or to the dull and ignorant, when what they saw was something I failed to see, but should have, much to my regret later.
Listening … really listening … is an art; it is the better part of conversation — better because what is said may plant seeds in the mind of the listener, seeds that sprout, mature, and yield kernels of wisdom that the listener would have acquired no other way.
When stubbornness, indifference, apathy, refusing to listen, and Satan’s many other impediments to open-mindedness blind me to where my path leads, I hope to see what is seen by my own Balaam’s burro.
Jimmy Reed is an Oxford, Mississippi resident, Ole Miss and Delta State University alumnus, Vietnam Era Army Veteran, former Mississippi Delta cotton farmer and ginner, author, and retired college teacher.
This story is a selection from Jimmy Reed’s latest book, entitled The Jaybird Tales.
Copies, including personalized autographs, can be reserved by notifying the author via email (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).
Lawyers ply their trade with words, but not always wise words, which was not the case with famed attorney and consummate wordsmith Max Ehrmann, author of “Desiderata,” an inspirational prose poem in which every word contributes to the collective wisdom of the work’s ultimate message.
When the world is too much with me, and — paraphrasing poet William Wordsworth —getting and spending and laying waste my powers stymie efforts to become a better human being, few items in my repertoire of memorized works are as therapeutic as Desiderata, especially the lines from it reminding me to “go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there is in silence.”
