Living in the Stone(ng) Age?

While blog reading today, I visited two sites that really touched me. Both acted as cautions as to the use of words - our words! Visit their sites firsthand, Jana and Carissa. Thanks to both of you for your honest, thought-provoking writings.

Unfortunately, there's way too much ugliness in our world - way too much - and we, as God's people, must be careful not to add to it. We need to guard our lips from bringing forth hurtful, hateful words. Remember our words set the climate for our self-worth - and we are not worth much if we let our lips speak unkindnesses and falsehoods (i.e., the nice word for lies). My poem sums up my feelings today, although I wrote it years ago (in 1993) when my family was the target of a verbal attack after our oldest son died. To tell you the truth, the persons might as well lined us up and stoned us to death because the untruths in their words brought great hurt and pain.

Gather not stones
For stones of hate cannot love

Defeat cannot savor victory
Despair cannot possess joy
Disobedience cannot breed respect
Evil cannot comprehend virtue.

Gather not stones
For your compassion will conquer all

Your accomplishments will reverse failure
Your happiness will heal pain
Your wisdom will subdue folly
Your goodness will merit excellence.

PS: Please forgive me if you find my words offensive. That wasn't intended. It is just so important that we are careful, too many have been wounded (some fatally) by an unbridled tongue. My prayer is: Dear Lord, thank you for awakening in me the desire to let my words speak of You and your holiness - and reminding me to speak only goodness regarding your people.

Be A Mountain Mover

When will our mountains be removed? I really don't know. However, there is a Chinese proverb that says, "The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."

How true that is. It speaks volumes of how we must remove each obstacle a piece at a time in order to accomplish victory's results. Everyday, if we pick up a small pebble of hurt, discouragement, or whatever stockpiled in our heart and put it in God's wheelbarrow, He will carry it away. And in so doing, our mountains will soon become ant hills.

However, on occasion, an unseen Hand will remove a boulder or two without any assistance from me or you. He does care, and will move our mountains if we take the first step. It is our responsibility to take the first step; that is, if we want our hurts removed and not continue to dwell on them. The choice is ours.

"Remove hence to yonder place and it shall move…" Matt 17.20