A Good Steward

The days have seemed to be forty eight hours instead of twenty four hours as we south-western-most South Dakotans have waited for the advent of Spring, but the cool days have turned balmy warm & the frigid nights are instead mostly sweater cool now. Flowers can be safely planted or put out on the porch hangers. & color, color, color! illuminates our yards, gardens & countryside, even in the infancy stage. After several winter months of hibernation our olfactory senses are once again awakened to the fragrances of lilacs, soil being upturned, freshly mown grass & unidentifiable fleeting sweetnesses.

The landscape is dotted, far away & up close & personal, with new life.

These twin fawns are right in our yard! But Mother is close by.

New beginnings everywhere we look. & of all different kinds. 

Which brings me to Connie...

Connie, who, in early May, crossed the Rainbow Bridge, walked straight into the arms of Jesus & into her new beginning.

I first met Connie when we moved to the country in the mid 1980's, when our daughters were in their early teens. One of my daughters & one of hers became country girl best friends, so Connie & I saw a lot of each other, also becoming good friends. Connie always had a ready smile & a contagious, little girl laugh. As a matter of fact, I can't ever remember a time when Connie wasn't smiling or laughing. She loved her life as rancher's wife, mother, homemaker, craftmaker, friend & because she loved it all she excelled at all. But what Connie did best, was love. In that she took the Gold Medal. & not just family & friends, but even everyone she met. There was always a little nook in her heart that made a place for all who entered her life, none ever excluded, all welcome, to her hearts lap, arms. & to her supper table!  I know that there is probably someone in all of our lives that we know or have known that have those special qualities. But here is where Connie enters the rarest of species. Connie was a good steward of her words. 

The Bible says that life & death are in the power of the tongue.

Connie spoke life. In the words she said & in the words she didn't say. Her words were kind, her words were encouraging, uplifting, funny, silly, wise, never mean, never disparaging, never rude, never gossipy. Out of the abundance of her heart, her mouth spoke, as the Bible says, so that showed what was in her heart.

In the past few weeks as I have been watching or listening to some of my favorite Christian teachers & the subject of each one ( there were four or five) was words. The title of three of them was "Shut Your Mouth." Truly. I began to take notice. I has just recently had an impassioned argument with a family member that escalated way out of control & did not end well. I knew that I was right, or rather spoke the truth about the situation, but later, &( it was unresolved for three weeks) the Lord told me, "just because it was truth didn't mean it was right to speak it. Especially because the truth was not spoken in love." Oh boy, discipline time. But Jesus always speaks the truth in love. I have begun to take the "Shut Your Mouth" very seriously because the Bible says that someday we will have to give an account of every idle (meaning worthless & non-productive) word we have spoken. Of course what the Lord says is "BE STILL!'' Believe me, He can speak in capital letters when He needs to! However, the second part of that scripture is humbling, "...& know that I am God." or "I've got this, I don't need your help or your words." We think we need to say something, we need to give our wisdom, our advice, our answer, truth as we see it, you know, like sounding brass or clanging cymbals (from the love chapter in the Bible) that profits absolutely nothing because it was not spoken in love. But by golly we said what needed to be said, salted with a few scriptures here & there, to justify our words. Whew, that busts a few buttons! & then a faraway voice, "Be still." Huh? Who said that? "Be still." Wait, what? "Be still...& know that I am God."

Not you, not me, although we often try to be God in the lives of others. There are times when silence is not called for & words must be spoken, but I don't think we humans have as nearly a difficult time speaking as in not speaking. Take heed, ( that sounds more biblical than just "listen" 😌)

"Even a fool is thought to be wise when he shuts his mouth." 

Ok, I tweaked that, but just a little. (Proverbs 17:28)

You get it, & I hope to live it!!! Being a good steward of our words is no small thing. It can make a life, it can save a life, it can help a life to choose good over evil, it can mend a heart, it can give a will to go on, it can keep another from giving up, it can set someone free from a destructive lifestyle, it can give hope, it can restore, it can redeem, it can change history, personal & even worldwise. That's how powerful our stewardship over our words is. More than we know. Much, much more.

So, my morning word routine now is this.

"Let the words of my mouth & the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight Oh Lord, my strength & my Redeemer."

(Psalm 19:14)

"Set a watch before my mouth O' Lord & keep the door of my lips."  (Psalm 141:3 I add, "So that I do not sin with my tongue.)

"Keep your servant back from presumptuous sin. Let them not have dominion over me." 

(Psalm 19:13)

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit."

Proverbs 15:4

"Let no corrupt words come out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification." (Ephesians 4:29)

These are not just words. They are commands, orders from the Top. It seems impossible, a whole new way of life really. We definitely need some outside help here. I know just the 'Help'.  

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses."

(Romans 8:26&)

Did you ever, when you were about to throw up, put your hand to your mouth until you could (hopefully!) make it to a private place before the evacuation? (sorry for being explicit here. 😵)

We need to be even more stalwart about holding in those words until we can get to a private place & instead say "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" We have to be committed to this! Ask the Lord how serious this is. His answer will probably scare you. But it could  save your life. & also the lives of others. As for me, I am determined to be a good steward of my words, like Connie.  Jesus will help me because I'm choosing life, & besides, it was His idea first. Wait, what?? I think I just heard the words,

"Good choice." 💗

Raintree Perk of the Day:

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life."