Ooooh, man! No brake and this thing, I mean “car,” that I was riding atop of seemed to be going faster the further down the hill I traveled! For a fleeting moment I thought about taking my feet off the front axle and dragging them along the ground, but that just might bring about an immediate and complete disaster—to the car and me!. I determined the only thing to do was try to keep from bouncing clear off the board I was seated on and hope the car hung together and stayed on the trail to the bottom of the hill, which was speeding closer each second.
With tears streaming out of each eye (from the wind you understand, not fear), and my heart pounding like a drummer at a fall football game, I finally reached the bottom of the hill. The homemade car my brother and I had constructed was still in one piece as I whizzed out onto the dirt road and turned sharply in hopes I could stop before going over the bank on the other side of the roadway. Suddenly the car hit a deep rut in the road. It careened one direction and I went another—in a cloud of dust.
I lay still for a few moments after I had tumbled to a stop. I groaned loudly in hopes my brother, still up the hill, had not missed any part of this entire demonstration of bravery I had put on. I groaned loudly once more and slowly rolled over and got to my feet. I was skinned up a little on one elbow but didn’t appear to be none the worse for wear. I peered through the dust to where the car had coasted to a stop, still upright. It hadn’t even turned over. In fact, it looked like it was ready for another trip, even if it didn’t have brakes.
I looked up the hill and saw that my brother was walking down towards me. “Hey! It’s your turn, now. Come get the car! You’re gonna’ love it!”
I had concluded that, in the interest of hoping to live a longer life, I would be kind and let my little brother take a few rides down the hill.
I must admit that the summer this all took place was many, many years ago and my memory of the details are more than a little bit hazy. Maybe I told my brother that he should not ride that contraption down the hill as he could get hurt really bad. Maybe? One thing I do remember is that the words that came out of my mouth a time or two as a young boy seemed to get me in trouble—something I could have done without.
In the Old Testament, in the Book of Psalms, we find this piece of wisdom: “Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!” (Psalm 34:12-13, NLT).
Now that is some food for thought!
Prayer: Lord, help me as I travel through life to be very careful about the things I say and the words that I use. Help me be the kind, compassionate and caring person you want. Don’t allow me to forget that you care about the words I speak and the manner in which I speak to people, and about them. Yes, help me Lord. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
Pastor Bill
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Seems to me , we all need to lie at one point or another. Sometimes we need to protect ourselves, sometimes we need to protecter others. The naked truth can sometimes do more damage than a well placed lie.
So when do we let out tongue run free, and when do we put on the brakes?