A Little out of Sorts

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
May 29, 2024
Proverbs 10:8 + Ephesians 4:32

It is a most unusual day for me as I write our midweek mediation. It seems my allergies caught a cold and I have spent the last two days mostly inside resting, reading, trying to do chores and basically feeling out of sorts. I bet some of you have been in this spot a time or two. What is really crazy for me is that I have so many things I need to do that require quiet study and meditation that I should be happy I have this time, and still I am antsy.

I have found that when I am unsatisfied with myself or my surroundings, I can get a little mouthy. I speak before I think, I jump to conclusions, I am critical, well, you know what I mean.

Proverbs gives a little nugget of wisdom for me today, I hope it helps you when you find yourself a little out of sorts; “The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin”. I remember well a counseling session where the therapist stopped the conversation and said; “Why Mrs. Bleecker, you do use a lot of words”. To which I responded; “Why yes, I do realize I use a lot of words”. Not the most helpful of sessions, but it was an eye opener as to why I choose to talk so much from time to time (I feel my family say, “all the time"). On my desk calendar, I have another nugget of wisdom on this topic; “Wisdom has two parts: 1) Having a lot to say; 2) Not saying it.

Our passage from Ephesians today is another wise quote that is also on my desk; do you suppose I am trying to learn something about chatter? Paul writes to the church in Ephesus;

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” So, before I go off on what I think or feel, perhaps it’s good to take a deep breath of God and ask myself, is what I am about to say necessary, helpful, even requested? I pray we all might take a bit more time with the Lord in conversation before we start chatting with others. It just might change the whole day.

Amen!