SILENCE IS (NOT ALWAYS) GOLDEN...

Spending almost a month with extreme hoarseness, including two weeks of trying not to talk at all, gave me a whole different way to look at “be careful what you pray for.”  I had been walking around with “keep your mouth shut!” written on my hand for three days just prior to my condition and I was right in the middle of trying to take to heart James 1:26 (if you think you are religious and can’t keep your mouth shut, you are deceiving yourself and are useless).  When others would ask me what was wrong, I would whisper “James 1:26”!

The thing I missed the most, of course, was teaching my 3 year olds on Sunday morning.  Last Sunday was my first Sunday back and I quickly remembered why I had missed them.  It was a fiasco of a class with one coming in crying and a large class of eight, but they were still such a joy to teach.  The highlight of the class was the funny thing that happened just before the prayer.  It was a true test of using a teaching moment and not saying the wrong thing.  One of my Princes stated, totally stone-faced and simply sharing information, “It’s gonna be stinkin’ during this prayer because I just pooted.”  I simply said, as I stifled the hilarity of the moment, “there are some things we keep quiet about and don’t share with others and that is one of them,” and continued with our prayer song.  Possibly a test to see how much I had learned in my month of silence!

I do not make a secret of struggling to control my tongue….there is simply no reason to…that way others help me and tell me when I need to keep quiet.  I try to constantly look at myself and make changes, although I certainly wish that I could learn this lesson and be done with it!

LOOKING AT MYSELF

I should take a moment, if I’m looking at your flaws,

I should take a moment, to see my own because…

If I’m taking time to look at all the qualities you lack,

I’m just passing by my mirror and never looking back.

If I hear things about you, that I don’t think are right,

I shouldn’t stand and judge you, or let it lead us to a fight.

If I find myself about to say something better left unsaid,

I need to stop and think, or say something nice instead.

For life is way too short to watch how others play their cards,

And time is better spent cleaning our own backyards,

For there is truly only one over which we have control,

And working on ourself, alone, can be a fulltime goal.

So the next time you are tempted to try to change another,

Remember they are just like you and treat them as a brother.

Spend some time in prayer for them, let them know you care.

Try to show Christ’s love to them, and as a friend be there.

Roberta Pledge

12/8/11