I Wish That I Knew What I Know Now...

A couple of days ago, I was in the local Albertson’s supermarket and the background music was “Oo La La.”

I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was younger.
I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was stronger.

The rest of the song is more than a wee bit on the dumb side, but darned near everybody older than 25 hums along to the chorus and wishes it were indeed so.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have kept Dell the first time I bought it, sold it all in 2000, and retired. Heck, I would have bought Microsoft back in the 80’s, as well as that 25 acres in southern Travis County I thought at the time was just a wee bit too pricey. I would have gone to class more back when I was in college - and I would definitely have taken better care of myself, instead of trying to prove with every passing year that my waist size + my I.Q. = a constant.

That’s the sort of thing that has always crossed my mind whenever I’ve heard that song, and I suspect that I’m not particularly unusual. This time, for some reason, it struck me that I wish I knew what I now know spiritually back when I was younger and stronger. How much difference would that have made in my life? How much difference would it have made in the lives of my family and of other people? Perhaps I wouldn’t be saved “only as one escaping through the flames.”

On the other hand, perhaps I’m still alive today because a Merciful God knew from the beginning just how slow a learner I am. And escaping through the flames is a whole lot better than being stuck in them.

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart… (Rom 6:17, RSV)