Concealed weapon or tree of life?

You can bite, curl it, or stain it blue, but this little organ is mighty hard to control.

Yesterday my husband called on his lunch break. "I just looked in the mirror and realized I'm ugly."

"Must be a warped mirror," I assured him. Satisfied I didn't concur with his assessment, he hung up. He is not difficult to please.

But neither are a lot of people. That's the beauty of this powerful potential we have to make someone's moment. A kind word, a thoughtfully timed word, a simple word like thanks, settles in the spirit and reverses a negative thrust.

Conversely this little organ, our tongue, has the power to form weapons of mass destruction. The Bible likens it to a deadly arrow, a fire, and a sharp sword. That's how I used to use it. Like many women, I learned at an early age that I carried a concealed weapon in my mouth.

Over the years I got so used to wielding my words like a saber, I didn't even notice all the heads I'd cut off. One day I overheard a student whisper, "She uses her words like a sword."

My saber clattered to the floor as I saw the truth in his words. Since then I have purposed to become aware of the power I so carelessly carry. I don't have to be powerful, rich, or famous. I don't even have to step outside my front door to change someone's day for better or for worse.

Today, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight Lord. 

PS  My granddaughter Shelby is one of the few people whose tongue matches her eyes!