What Did Mary Know?

As my children will tell you “Don’t even bother to ask mommy her favorite of anything. She never has one.” This is a true statement for most of the categories I am asked to choose favorites from. I am not a favorite’s kind of person. I like to reserve the right to change my mind on things like colors, songs, hair style, food, and clothes. Picking favorites ties me down and pigeon holes me. That being said, I do have a few things that I really am fond of. One song that I just happen to have a strong fondness for is one that is typically heard quite often around this time of year. 

I first heard “Mary Did You Know?” several years ago and though I cannot remember the exact moment in time or space where I actually listened closely to the words, I do remember being very moved by the sentiment of the song once I did. I believe it was first released in the early 90's and I surely heard it numerous times during the Christmas seasons of my youth but, I didn't really stop and listen and hear its words until I was a mother. I began to develop a new perspective on the Word of God, and on life in general. Though I grew up in the church and heard the story of the birth of Jesus many times, listening to this song at this time in my life was the first time I actually thought about this miraculous event from his mother Mary’s perspective. 

Who was Mary? Why choose Mary? What did Mary know? All of these questions sort of swirled around in my thoughts for a while. I started investigating. I found that scripture only really gives us a few insights into her life. I can trace lineage and learn a bit about her hometown of Nazareth in Galilee from the biblical accounts but I also learned a bit more from history and customs of the day. According to the customs of the culture she was probably just an average young woman. Though we can’t know how old she was exactly, many young women were betrothed and on the path of marriage like Mary was as young as 13 in those times. She was from a peasant’s town in a poor region of Israel and was betrothed to a simple carpenter. She does have a fairly impressive heritage that traces her blood line all the way back to king David. 

Her life was probably filled with many hardships. She was from Nazareth in Galilee which was a poor region and scripture points out in John 1:45-46 that this was a commonly known fact. When it is proclaimed by Philip that they have found the one the prophets spoke of and that it was Jesus of Nazareth, Nathaniel replies “can anything good come from Nazareth?” Mary had lived her entire life in a community where good things seemed to have been pretty scarce.

Why would God choose this poor young woman just living an ordinary life in a small town? I can see why when I look at her encounter with Gabriel, the angel who brings her the news of Jesus’ impending arrival. Luke 1:34-55 is just one biblical account that shows us why she was so special.

“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’  And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

After being told exactly what God’s plan was and how it would happen she replied in verse 38 “I am the servant of the Lord: let it be to me according to your will.” She could have responded any number of ways. She could have said things like “I am far too busy just helping my family here.” or “Can’t you find someone else I am afraid of what people will think of me.” Though she was not yet married her engagement to Joseph was as binding as marriage but without the privilege of a physical relationship. Both she and Joseph most certainly would have had an enormous stigma of scandal attached to them. Joseph even thought he would “divorce” Mary quietly so that she would not be made some sort of public example until he receives a visit from an angel as well (Matthew 1:18-25). Mary made no excuses. She didn't worry how people would look at her or about the burdens she may have to endure. She simply said “I am your servant.” She was even so excited she hurried to share her news with Elizabeth who, being filled with the Holy Spirit, tells Mary she is blessed because she heard and believed what the Lord had promised. Mary even sings praises to the Lord for His blessings in verses 46-55. 

As I read on in the gospel accounts I saw a few more glimpses of Mary’s character until finally she stood close by her son as he died an agonizing death, for sins that were not his own, on the cross. Watching that gift from God die for even her is an unimaginable place for a mother to be. Seeing her child, her heart, in that condition and no one fully understanding yet what it all meant. Though Jesus had tried to explain, it wasn't time yet to understand. He told the apostles, his closest followers and friends in John 16:12-13:

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” 

They still couldn't even understand what they were watching unfold there on that dark Friday of the death of Mary’s son. No one could tell her why, or what, or how this was happening to this child God had given her.

Mary, what Did you know? She knew that there were prophecies about the Messiah. She knew that God had promised her people a deliverer. She knew what the angel Gabriel told her about this child she was to bear. She knew that her God had chosen her for a task and that she was His servant. She knew that she carried in her heart examples and instances of Jesus’ growth in knowledge and stature and favor with God and man (Luke 2:49-52). 

She did not know she would have to watch her boy go through all that he went through for her own deliverance. She did not know she would hear him give her care over to his disciple and friend as she watched him hanging on the cross of shame because he loved her so much (John 19:26-27). She did not know he would be resurrected and ascend to his heavenly Father to sit down at his right side (Acts 2:33). 

She knew very little about what life would have in store for her and her baby boy when Gabriel visited her with God’s assignment for her. She only knew she was the servant of the Lord and whatever task he gave to her she would do and she would rejoice in it, even if she did not know where it would take her in her life.

What a tremendous lesson I learned from this examination of Mary. I am just an ordinary woman living my life and yet, the Lord has saved me through His son and has asked me, yes me, to share salvation through His son with the world. I don’t always know what that may look like. I don’t always know what opportunities or pitfalls lay before me. I don’t know what people may or may not think of me if they hear me share what Jesus has done for me. All I know is that God has given me a task, he has promised me deliverance, and I am the servant of the Lord. May I never forget what He has done because He loved me and may I always be willing to sacrifice what fears I may have or doubts I may feel for the truth of His Word. 

Here is a link to a fabulous version of “Mary Did You Know?” by Pentatonix

My Disjointed Ramblings and His Interceding Spirit

If you read my first post, you know that one of the goals of this blog is to be an outlet for focusing my thoughts and purging my overflowing inbox of the brain. It has been challenging to do that this week. So many things have been on my mind and every time I think I have found something to focus in on or dig into I get distracted by a completely new thought that I never thought of before. If you have ever seen the Disney movie “UP” I feel an awful lot like the dog Doug. “I really think that I would like to focus my thoughts on the topic of… Squirrel!” This happens to me far too often and not always at the most appropriate of times.

 

Even as I sit and type this I am glad there is not a timer to show how long it is actually taking me to type *cough, cough, days, ahem, ahem.* To be fair, it’s not all that my brain is skipping around on its own. Many times it is being dragged from one situation to another by the other people in my house. Perhaps this has happened so many times that my thought process has been damaged and can no longer function at a normal level on a daily basis. I am expected to process many requests, reminders of activities, inquiries of minimal importance, and inquiries of serious importance often all at the same time.

“Mommy, can you get, do we have, are we going, did you do, what’s wrong with, does this thing, where’s my, I need to ask, can I, why did, who did, are you going to solve world hunger or at least fix me dinner?” actually sounds like a perfectly normal question in my neck of the West Virginia woods. And this is just the line of fire from two of the small people in my house. I have not even thrown in the sharing of the day’s activities with my husband or the fact that our 19 month old is learning a new word every two minutes and wants us to make sure we hear him. With all of this going on just on the inside of the house on a daily basis it’s not a mystery why I struggle at times to keep my focus. I am bombarded with words and thoughts from every person in my home including myself.

Lest you think I am complaining, I am most definitely not. I quite enjoy my noisy life most of the time. The silence, when I am alone on those rare occasions, is often deafening. I have become accustomed to the rapid fire line of questioning and fun that comes with jumping from one activity to another with my littlest or from one topic to another as I talk with my family. I truly and deeply love that we have the ability to talk to one another about whatever in this home. No, not complaining just pondering.

I am pondering the effects of this on my ability to focus in when it really matters. I am considering carefully what implications this holds when it comes to my spiritual life. I really am wondering, if my conversation and thoughts are jumbled sometimes because of all of the stuff of life what does this mean when I am trying to have thoughtful communication with God? Can He find His way through my mess of a mind and understand my disjointed ramblings? When I jump from one request to another can He keep up? When I pray one second that my sweet babies sleep well and in the middle of the sentence remember to pray for a friend with a deeper need and I just can’t seem to find the words to express the love, need, want, thankfulness that is rolling around in my heart, can He understand?

Romans 8:9-11

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

Romans 8:26-28

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Yes. Yes, my Heavenly Father can find His way through my mess of a mind and understand my disjointed ramblings. Yes, He can keep up. Yes, He can understand when I cannot find words for my love, need, want, thankfulness. He can because He is not a distant unknown God. His Spirit is dwelling in me giving me life that will last far beyond this muddled one here on earth. His Spirit is helping me in my weakness searching and knowing my heart and interceding for me that God’s will be done in my life. Even in my times of light hearted fun, hurried craziness, or desperate need, I can be assured that all things will work out according to His purpose and it will be for the good even if I cannot see it in the moment.

Because I am a part of Christ's body and through baptism I am clothed in Him (Galatians 3:27) even with what may seem like the smallest of struggles I can take great comfort in the fact that He is with me helping to make sense of it all even when I don’t make sense. I may not completely understand all the ways that He is working in me but I know that He is.

Thank you God for the Spirit of Christ, let us never take the gift of the triune God for granted.

Constantly Surrounded

I am blessed with three beautiful children. They are all very talented at different things and I love to see them excel in the activities that they love. However, my greatest joy in life is seeing them excel in their understanding of God’s Word. For the last few years we have attended the annual Lads to Leaders convention in Louisville, KY. If you are unfamiliar with the Lads program it is a wonderful way to help young people grow just as it is said that Jesus did in Luke 2:52 “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” It gives them opportunity to learn how to study and prepare lessons, lead singing, and it even shows them how to use their artistic abilities and unique talents to glorify God and the church. 

My older two children have participated in several events at Lads to Leaders over the years, one of which is presenting a speech based on the convention theme for the year. They spent hours, with their Daddy’s help, pouring over passages and finding a topic that they felt they could speak about. They were thoughtful in every word that they wrote on the page and even used personal illustrations just like I am doing now. They looked to their family and church for guidance. Most of all they spoke straight from the Word of God. They prepared themselves to say the right thing. And they could do this because they were looking to the right sources for their material. They were able to find the words they should use because they had the right sources, God’s Word and God’s people, in front of them. They were constantly surrounded. Of course they are young and they were directed to those places by the adults in their life.

This caused me to think about their future. You see, at some point we have the ability to choose what we look to as an example. My kiddos are having the source for their speech put in front of them by their parents and their church family. One day they will have the choice of what they use as a pattern not only for how they may write a speech but how they live their lives. My prayer is that they will continue to choose what has been placed in front of them. For many who may be reading this, you obviously view God’s Word as important or as having at least some relevance or you probably wouldn't have chosen to continue reading this blog after the part about watching my children excel in their understanding of God’s Word. We certainly allow the Bible to have some influence in our lives. The question is how much?

How much power do we allow God to have over how we choose to live our lives and, more specific to the topic I want to address today, how we choose to speak? The book of James says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” God has the wisdom and he is willing to share. All we have to do is ask. Perhaps if we spent more time in communication with God through prayer he would be able to guide our tongues more readily in our communication with others. Perhaps if we held God up in reverence and spoke more highly of Him in our communication everything else would fall into place.

I would submit that we, as a society, have become so overrun with negative influences that we as Christians have become confused and overwhelmed and in many cases we have given up trying to discern what is proper from what is improper. I do not just mean proper in the since of “politically correct” or social poise, I mean proper in every manner of speech.

Let me give you this example that really impacted my life when I first heard it from another sister in Christ several years ago at a ladies’ class. If someone came into your home, sat down on your couch and began making crude jokes, cursing, drinking, smoking, and doing vulgar things in front of your family and especially your children or grandchildren I feel confident in saying you would ask them to stop the behavior and you may even tell them to leave your house if they are going to continue in this manner. And yet we invite these people into our homes almost daily. We give them a place of honor as the focal point of our living rooms. We laugh at their crude jokes, rudeness and disrespectful language. We tell them to stay as long as they like and we ask them to repeat themselves with the push of a button. We do this with the kinds of things we choose to watch on television or listen to on the radio. We allow our family and our children to glorify the people who do and say coarse, rude and unkind things. We do this with a laugh and a wink and say “Don’t do or say what they do honey.” We make excuses for them. We make excuses for ourselves. We say, “Well, I am strong enough and smart enough to know better than to behave that way or speak those words.” We can see evidence in James that you are not. I am not. James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”  James 8-10 says, “but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” None of us are so good that we are going to be able to avoid the effects of continuously inviting sinful behavior into our homes and expect that we won’t soon be tangled up in it ourselves. I have noticed these things in myself. I have noticed television shows shaping my worldview and my speech far more often than I allow the words that my savior has spoken to me to do the same.

Some of you may think that I am crazy when I tell you this but, within the last several years, I have begun a purging of movies from my collection and I have been more discerning about what I choose to watch. I am a music lover but I have given up listening to many songs that I once loved because I caught behavior in my speech and in my thoughts that was beginning to reflect the worldly tones of some of those things. I will also share that, sadly, many people do not understand this decision and some of those who do not understand and have even made fun of this are fellow Christians. I have been told such things as “people will think you are a fanatic or something” and "your kids are going to be made fun of if they don't know that song or that show." My response is simply, I do not care. That is what my problem has been for far to long in my life. I have been thinking too much and worrying too much about what everyone else thinks of me. I do not need to be me centered, I need to be Christ centered. If I am going to be centered on Him then I must think on the things He has told me to think about and fill my life with them.

Philippians 4:8-9 says “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

We may ask “Why God? Why do what Paul says here in Philippians?” Jesus says to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:33-37 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

If there is anything I can do in my life to fill it up with true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent things that are worthy of praise and in the process fill my heart so abundantly that it can’t help but pour out in my life and in my speech, as a committed follower of Christ I am obligated to do it. If getting rid of things in this world that I once thought I loved and cherished helps me to find things that truly matter, I will do it. I owe it to God. I owe it to His Son. I owe it to the Holy Spirit. I must get rid of things that cause my heart to be filled in abundance with worldly ideals.

I told you before that my prayer for my children is that they will decide to place before themselves good and godly things. How can I hope for them to make that choice if I myself am unwilling to?

If we have any hope of our communication with others being good we must first start with what we choose to fill our hearts with. Because, as It says in Matthew 12:34 “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Not only is it important to surround ourselves with God’s Word, we also need to surround ourselves with God’s people. One of my favorite stories to tell is about a little child who is in his room during a storm and cries out for his father. The dad comes in and says to the boy, “it is only a storm, pray to God for comfort and he will give it to you.” The dad leaves but this action is repeated a few more times until finally the boy cries out and says “Daddy! I know God is there and he will protect me but sometimes I just need someone with skin on!” How true this is in so many areas of our lives. We have God, we have His word but, He in His infinite wisdom knew we couldn't do any of this alone. He blessed us with His Church and with fellow believers and while we should never look to any person as a guide to all things holy, surrounding ourselves with people of like mind can be an encouragement and can also help shape our speech to be more Godly.

We lived in Louisville, KY for eight years. Driving in the city of Louisville is, in a word, interesting. My husband and I were out one afternoon running some errands before we went to get the kids from school. We had plenty of time but we noticed that we were soon speeding in and out of traffic as if we did not. We were surrounded by others who were in a rush to get to this place or that place and we soon found ourselves joining in the behavior. Suddenly, we had to hurry. Suddenly, it was an urgent thing to get where we were going. We noticed the behavior and began to laugh about it and slow down a little. It is so easy to begin behaving like those you are surrounded with, to give in to the mentality of the majority.

If we are surrounded constantly by materials and people who do not see the importance of speaking to God in prayer for guidance or do not speak His name with reverence we may soon find ourselves slipping into the same behavior.

The Tie that Binds

I grew up in a small town in Tennessee. Maybe you've heard of it? New Johnsonville, TN? Zip code 37134? Population contained within that zip code according to my inquiry online 3,018? That sounds high though so Google could be having an off day. If you know it, I probably know you so let me just say - Hey friend! How have you been and say hello to the family! That's just how a small town works. I know you and you know me and I beg you not to comment in the comment space about all the really dumb things I did when I was a kid because that is another post completely! 

My thoughts have been pretty focused today on my community. No, not that small town only, though they are included, but, my community of faith. My family in Christ. That family started in that small town. In that average looking church building full of normal, everyday folks.

I cannot remember a day of my life that I didn't know the people at the New Johnsonville Church of Christ. From birth my parents made sure I was taught the importance of God's Word and His family. I was baptized into the body of Christ in that building and can remember being told things like "welcome to the family" and "so glad you are my sister now" as they congratulated me on beginning a new stage of my life. I understood the meaning of words that they were saying and I new that there was a deeper, spiritual meaning there but, I did not really grasp just how deep that meaning was until I was older.  

Fast forward a few years and I was married in that church building. From my youth my parents made sure I was taught about the kind of mate I should be looking for. I was surrounded by the same people who had welcomed me into the family of God and called me sister. They were now congratulating me on yet another new stage in my life. I was beginning to see the family dynamic of the church unfold but I still did not really grasp just how deep that dynamic was. 

We were married a year and we were packed up and moving across the country to yet another small town, Clayton, New Mexico. My husband had accepted his first full time preaching position. From the time I could talk my parents made sure to teach me to use my voice as a tool for God. It was 1000 miles exactly from the door of our house in Clayton to the door of my parents home in New Johnsonville. My parents were sad, to say the least, that I was moving so far away but they were loaded up with us and tagging along as our moving crew. We were young, nervous, excited, and full of all kinds of feelings that we had never felt before. Many members of the congregation showed up to help us unload and worked really hard to make us feel welcome. Then, my parents left. They drove away. There we were, my husband and I. What had we done? My family was not there! My family was in New Johnsonville, Tennessee! My husband consoled me and the church family took us both in as their own. I saw a bit more of what that family meant and was beginning to see something deeper.

We were very busy working with the church in Clayton for three years. We were blessed with the birth of our first child while we were there. Then we were packed up and moving across the country to yet another small town to work with the church in Paris, KY. We had purchased a house sight unseen, by us anyway. My parents and one of the members of the church there had worked very diligently to find us a place to live. We arrived late at night but there, at our never before seen house, was a posse of church folks ready to work. They worked very hard to make us feel welcome. We were closer to my parents now and were very excited to get to see them more often. When they drove away this time it wasn't nearly as traumatic. There was a new feeling now, a longing, not for New Johnsonville but for Clayton. I missed them deeply. My husband consoled me, yet again, and the church family took all three of us in as their own. I was sensing a pattern it was beginning to look familiar. I saw even more of what that family meant and it was getting deeper.

The work of the church was chugging along for four years in Paris. We were blessed with the birth of our second child while we were there. Then we were packed up and moving across the state to the not so small town of Louisville, KY to work with the Watterson Trail Church of Christ. Church members at Paris loaded us up in one of their trailers and joined us and my parents as we moved yet again. Many members of the congregation showed up to welcome us and help us. Then, our friends from Paris drove away. They drove away. What had we done? We had new people to get to know, again! Now I was still deeply missing the church at Clayton, NM and longing for the familiarity and friendships of the church at Paris, KY! My husband, ever the trooper, consoled me one more time and the church family took all four of us in as their own. Wait? Is this song stuck on replay? I was really seeing the pattern now. I would be crazy to miss it this time! This is what they meant by "welcome to the family sister!" 

The work of the church was strong for the eight years we were at Watterson Trail. We were blessed with the birth of our third child while we were there. Then, the hardest move yet. We were packed up and moving to West Virginia to work with Ohio Valley University. My parents were there as always. The trucks were loaded and there were still things left to load! An Elder, a deacon, and the youth and family minister said "no problem, we have you covered." They loaded up their own personal vehicle and were tagging along with us. Then, as they always do, they drove away. Now, it's real. I moved so far away from my family in New Johnsonville all those years ago only to find that I had truly been moving closer to God's family all along.

God has taught me the meaning of His word through this journey. I have learned, very deeply, the meaning of Ephesians 4:4-6 which says:

"There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

And now, Acts 4:32 is so much more vivid to me. It says:

"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common."

I know what it means to be so inter-connected with the one body. I have shared deep sorrows and joys with my family that no one outside of that family would understand. When a member of my family has joy, I feel it with them. When a member of my family has pain and sorrow, I ache with them.

What brings all of this to my mind today? Some members of my family are hurting very deeply today over the tragic loss of a dear loved one. I have been hurting for them and praying for them. Though I cannot be with them physically I am still able to wrap them in prayers for their grief. 

I grew up in a small town but now I am part of a large community filled with nothing but members of my family, God's family. That, in my humble opinion, is the tie that binds.

Why am I Doing This?

Well, here I go. Into the world of the blog. I am not really sure if anyone will care too much about what I may have to offer. I truly just need an outlet for my overflowing mind. I am sure there are many people out there who can relate to my plight. You know, the one where you rush around all day doing all the little things just praying for two minutes to sit and do something brainless? The one where your prayers are given the answer you longed for and those precious minutes are granted but your brain does not cooperate? Yeah, that would be me. In those rare moments are when my brain decides to kick it into high gear, dive into the water, and ponder all the stuff of life. To be clear, my brain is a fan of the whole pool not just the shallow end. I decided that I might as well do something constructive with my thoughts and start typing. Even if I am the only one who benefits from the brain purge at least someone will. 

My first goal, as I mentioned, is an outlet for my own thoughts on everything from my latest Bible study to that cute thing my kid did. Everything I type will be from a Christian worldview, even the cute thing my kid did. I strive for Christ to be in every part of my life. 

My second goal is to speak kindly but firmly and listen well if anyone else does care to read what I have to say and has something to add or ask.

Proverbs 25:11-13

 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.”

What a beautiful picture this paints for us of how wonderful it is to speak appropriately! Just think about what this proverb says for a moment. Words that are spoken “fitly” or appropriately are equivalent to gold and silver. Not only are they valuable but I can also see that they are rare. I don’t know about you but I do not stumble upon golden apples nestled in beds of silver every day. Words spoken well can, sadly, be just as rare as that.

It also says that a wise reprover is like fine jewelry. When we hear the word reprove it usually conjures up images of scolding and yes that is what it means but, the actual definition says that it means to do so “gently or with a kindly intent.” So this passage says it is right to correct someone with thoughtful and wise speech. 

Don’t leave out the listener though. It isn't always about the one speaking. This passage says you must have someone with a “listening ear” or someone willing to hear what is said. So “speaking” properly involves not only speaking but hearing, or in this case reading. 

The last part of this passage tells us that a faithful messenger is refreshing to the soul of his masters. It says that someone who delivers a message that has been given to them by their masters and does so faithfully has done well. This implies two things: 1. The messenger listened to the masters message and carried it with them. 2. The messenger delivered the masters message correctly to the one it was intended to be delivered to. Do we see any parallels to the Christian here? I hope so.

I think this sums it up for now. I am not sure how often I will be able to post my ponderings but I look forward to having the ability to express those thoughts and, if you decide to join me as I clean out my brain, sharing them with you.