The Tongue

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom: and in her tongue is the law of kindness."
Proverbs 31:26

The tongue is one of the littlest members of our body, but it can bring a lot of hurt to others if it is not controlled. We need to be very careful of what we say about others.

There once was a man who came to confess to a monk. He had criticized his friend and found later his accusations were untrue. He asked the monk how he might make amends. The monk instructed him to cut open a feather pillow and carry it throughout the city, placing one feather on the doorstep of each house until the pillowcase was empty. The Monk asked him to report back after he completed the task. The man returned rejoicing in the relief of his burden. The monk said, "Oh! You are only half through. You must now go and gather up each feather and put it back in the pillowcase." "That would be impossible, the wind has carried them to thousands of places," stated the man. The monk replied, "So it is with the criticism that you made of your friend."

I came across a test which we would be wise to use before repeating a story.

Three Gates

If you are temped to reveal a tale to you someone has told about another, make it pass, before you speak, three gates of gold. These narrow gates: First, "Is it true?" Then, "Is it needful?" In your mind give truthful answer. And the next is the last and narrowest, "Is it kind?" And if to reach your lips at last it passes through these gateways three, then you may tell the tale, nor fear what the result of speech may be. (From the Arabian)
Here are a couple of other scriptures which admonish us to be careful in our speech.

"My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit." Job 27:4

"Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile." Ps. 34:13

~Mary Wallace~

Washing Away Stains

My husband and I were driving to a meeting recently. I looked down and noticed two red stains on the front of my white shell top. It was the first time I had worn it, too! I had been changing the hummingbird feeders before we left and evidently it somehow had splashed up and onto my top. It was the commercially prepared nectar so it was colored red. I was very concerned that I would not be able to get the stain out as I did not have any stain removal solution with me. We arrived at the hotel and I set out to get that stain out of my new top. I tried cold water and the hotel soap. It didn't work. I remembered having a colored tee-shirt that I had gotten a few specks of toothpast on while brushing my teeth and it took the color out. I decided that since my top was already white I had nothing to lose so I tried it. I rubbed the toothpaste directly on my top and hung it up to dry. I went back later and rinsed the toothpast out and along with it the stain. My top was just like new again. The stain had totally disappeared. I vowed to make my own hummingbird nectar in the future. It is very easy to do. You bring 1 cup of water to a boil and then add 1/4 cup of sugar. Let it boil for about a minute and then set aside to cool. That's it! No food coloring and the little "hummers" like it better than the commercial nectar, which usually has the red coloring in it.

I am so thankful that God can take the stain of sin from our life when we commit it to him and trust him for the results. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Ps. 103:12

~Mary Wallace~

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