Friday, February 13, 2015

Precious Life

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Sometimes life really throws you for a loop. At this current point in time, I am dealing with four deaths, in the space of two weeks of people that were very close to me. All death is hard, but it is even harder when you had a  relationship with the person. It's also hard when you weren't close to the person, but you see how it impacts those that are close to you.

Humans, being who they are tend to take people and things for granted and don't recognize what they have until it's no longer there. Within my family, we have a strange, and sad dynamic. I am one of eight children and I wish within my heart of hearts that as adults we would be able to talk deeply, listen earnestly, laugh joyfully and hug freely with each other. But this is not the case. After our oldest brother's death, there is an open wound among us. This wound may have been there before, but it has become more noticeable over time. This wound is painful, divisive and hurtful, because it has never been treated.

An open wound is an injury involving an external or internal break in body tissue, usually involving the skin. Nearly everyone will experience an open wound at some point in his or her life. Most open wounds are minor and can be treated at home. The main complication from having an open wound is the risk of infection. (source: http://www.healthline.com/health/open-wound#Treatment3)
With all of these deaths, I wish the open wound in my family could be healed. I wish we could truly put feet to our faith and love and forgive, as forgiveness is amazing.

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Life is too short; may we reach out to the salve that is available and use it to soothe and heal our wounds. May we treasure the family we have while we have them.


For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:1,11 [NLT]

How do you cherish your family?


Monday, February 9, 2015

Words Are Things of Little Cost

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Life is short and very precious. I am on an impromptu visit to the East Coast dealing with a spate of deaths in the family. Due to the weather my flight was cancelled. As I sit here working from home my dad and I are having sporadic conversation. He's lived a long life but one of the things he remembers is the words from the hymn below that he learned in Sunday School. The first time he mentioned this poem to me was about two years ago. At that time I wrote the entire text down, because I could not find it when I googled it. Today I googled it and found the actual text.

Prayer for Daily Grace- by John George Fleet
Words are things of little cost
Quickly spoken, quickly lost;
Witnesses at God’s right hand,
And their testimony bear
For us, or against us there.

Oh, how often ours have been
Idle words and words of sin!
Words of anger, scorn or pride
Or deceit, our faults to hide,
Envious tales,of strife unkind
Leaving bitter thoughts behind.

Grant us Lord from day to day,
Strength to watch and grace to pray:
May our lips, from sin kept free,
Love to speak and sing of thee
Till in heaven we learn to raise

Hymns of everlasting praise.

My dad learned this in Sunday School and these words, the words of the poem have stuck with him. It is the fact that words are precious, and once said they can't be unsaid. It may be why he appears quiet and tries to be so careful when he speaks. But he also acknowledged we've all made mistakes with our words.
Going forward, I'm sure I'll always hear his voice in my head saying, "Words are things of little cost, quickly spoken, quickly lost.." in that very strong Bajan accent.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19 [NLT]

Are you careful with your words? Is there something you do that cautions you before you speak? If you were reckless with your words, what do you do to correct the situation?