Apostrophe, Vol.26, Ep.75

I go back and forth on the whole swearing thing.

Sometimes, I don't see the problem, and I think to myself "what's the big deal? they're only words."

And other times, I feel really convicted and remember verses that my mother likes to quote like "out of the heart the mouth speaks" or something like that.

She's not referring only to swearing, of course, she says that every time I rip someone a new one with my rapier wit and sharp tongue.  I do have a sharp tongue.  And I think I do hurt people's feelings.

I am sorry.  Afterward.

But typically, in the moment, I am enraged at the injustice that I perceive.  Or the idiocy.  Or both.

I'm awful if it's both.  Laughably awful.  I say horrible things that are horribly funny and people laugh, not because they agree, though the might, but because what I said was so hilariously and awfully true.

Yeah.

That's not speaking the truth in love.

Being funny doesn't mean I'm right, and speaking truth harshly, doesn't help the person I am speaking to or about.

And I want to be helpful.

I want to be nice.

I guess that brings me back to the whole swearing thing.

I have used swear words before.  I have even used faux swear words... a lot.

And I feel better for a while.  But then I don't.

I know that people think less of me when I swear, and no, I don't really care what other people think.

But...

I'm a Christian.  And I don't want people to think less of Jesus because I swear.

I don't want people to think less of Jesus because I am uncharitable in how I speak of others.

I don't want to stand in someone's way of discovering the truth about Christ.

And while I don't care what people think about me, I care what they think about Jesus.

So I'm not going to swear and I'm going to speak truth in love.

Even when people are acting unjustly or dumb.

That's my challenge for today.

Where do you stand on the whole "swearing" issue?

Watermark Vol.1, Ep.5

Merry Christmas!

Ellipses Vol.4, Ep.1

Read along and listen to the original telling here: Ellipses Vol.4, Ep.1 - Classic Ethan & Evan Story.

Classic Ethan & Evan Story.

Once upon a time, in a big house, on top of a mountain, next to a river, down the road from the most beautiful pine forest, there lived two boys: Ethan and Evan!

This story is called "Evan and the Desperate Cry for Help"

"Help! Help!"

Evan ran through the forest and all the way up the road, around the porch to the front door of his house, he twisted and jiggled the handle but it wouldn't open.

"Oh, no! Oh, no!"

He ran to one side of the house, he jiggled and twisted the door [handle], but it wouldn't open!

"Oh, no!"

He ran all the way to the other side of the house to the family room door.

He jiggled and twisted, but it wouldn't open, he started to hyperventilate!

And then he ran down around all the way to the kitchen side of the house again, and tried to push the code into the garage door, but it wouldn't open!

Then he ran to the garage side door and jiggled and twisted but it wouldn't open!

"Help me!

He looked around his house.

"Dear Jesus, please! Someone has to be home I have to go to the bathroom!"

Then he started doing his "I have to pee" dance, and he danced and he danced!

Then he saw his salvation, the weeds!

So he took care of business... in the weeds.

Then of course what happened, his mother comes to the door, sees him standing knee deep, trousers down.

"Evan Jehosaphat Smithers, you are in so much trouble!"

"I really had to go Mommy!

She held a hand in front of her eyes and said "when you are finished, you will come in, I will leave the kitchen door open and you will wash your hands without touching anything!"

Evan finished taking care of business, pulled up his pants, and walked sullenly into the house.

Mommy looked at him and looked away. "Please wash your hands."

Then she asked "Evan, why didn't you come inside the house to use the bathroom?"

"I tried, but every door was locked and I couldn't open the garage."

"Well, Evan did you try the back door?"

"What?"

"The back door behind the garage"

"I tried the garage door but it wouldn't..."

She said "No, honey, the back door, the back door was open because me and your brother and your dad were all swimming. You ran around the entire front of the house and didn't see us. You could have come to the back door, it was open. We locked the other doors because we couldn't see them from the pool.

Evan finished washing his hands and said, "Mommy, you're so cruel! If I had known you were swimming, I would have peed in the pool!"

The End.