The other morning, I was planning a normal day. Get up. Get ready. Eat cereal. But, before I got really very far into my day I managed so very nicely to trip myself up. Open mouth, swallow foot whole. At that moment, I really didn’t feel like breakfast anymore. I just had this horrible feeling of nausea. Why in heaven’s name did I SAY that!?
The older I get, the better I get at thinking before I speak. Letting my words filter through my head and my heart and then just keep quiet. But, I’m not perfect by any means and sometimes, something so completely foolish just comes tripping off my tongue. I just want to either smack myself or let the earth open up and swallow me whole when that happens.
I know I’m not alone in this. Controlling our tongues is a universal problem.
James 3:8 says, “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”
In fact, earlier in this chapter James says that, “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”
Oh, how I long to be that person!
I’ve discovered, however, the best way to handle these moments is to immediately make it right with the person you’ve offended. This involves humbling yourself and asking for forgiveness, which is incredibly difficult sometimes, but the longer we put it off, the worse it gets.
So, this day, I realized, crow was on the menu for breakfast. Yuck. But, I plugged my nose and took a big enormous bite of that crow pie I had made for myself.
I resolved once again, with God’s help, to think before I speak and to let my words be words that bring healing and life. Sometimes, just being quiet is enough.
On the subject of being quiet, Proverbs 17:28 always makes me laugh:
“Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”
I think Abraham Lincoln summed it up best with these words, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.”
The funny thing about this whole scenario was that the person I thought I had offended had no idea what I was talking about and thought the whole thing was hilarious!!! Nothing worse than crow pie when you didn’t even need to eat it! Oh well. I figured it was good practice and that God decided I needed to humble myself that day. I needed the reminder to make my words sweet always.
Crow is a dish best served warm. As soon as you know you’ve hurt someone, quickly go and make it right. The longer you wait, the more hurt, anger and resentment build up.
“If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Matthew 5:23,24
Crow tastes bitter on the tongue, but is pleasant to the stomach.
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