Yikes! When Debra Got Convicted In A Comment Box.

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."   ... Colossians 4:6


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Last week while reading a Yahoo article regarding President Trump's declaration that we recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capitol, I became miffed that, in the midst of such a historic time, the writer concentrated on the President's vocal delivery of the speech, hinting at possible health/sanity problems.

Then I read the comments (big mistake), felt horribly annoyed that people could be so mean to those with whom they disagree--and said so.

Uh-oh. One person then replied I had no room to talk because, months ago (when you click on a person's name, all their previous comments pop up) I'd said, "Snowflakes! Snowflakes are falling everywhere."

Now at first I thought, "Good grief. There's a huge difference between that and the cruel, mocking, degrading statements people are making this morning."

But then, clicking on my name, I read the ten comments I'd written over the years while feeling that, hey, I deserve to let off a bit of political steam somewhere-- and uh-oh. Five of my responses, though super-tame by comparison, still sounded sarcastic and snarky. Oh, bad, bad tone.

Wow. I even thought, "Who was that woman?" Because, really? She's not me now. Now Debra wouldn't make those same comments. 

So I repented to God, first, then deleted any comment which even hinted at not caring that people were hurting over things not currently hurting me. 

And oh, it was Conviction City around here. What I want now--more than to let off steam--is to be part of the solution, not the problem. 

Tons of folks are shooting-off harsh words, hitting, harming others. Yet only a fraction seek to be led by compassion and speak the truth in love as Jesus would.

Which means more than just 'toning down' my comments, believing they're ok with God because, hey! They're not even in the same time zone as mean. Nope, that's too much like this --


"Comparing themselves amongst themselves, they are not wise."  ... 2 Corinthians 10:12 


Oh, some of my readers may think, "But it's not fair to hold back what we really feel!" Yet, actually? It's not about holding in what we feel, rather, it's more about letting go of what doesn't please God. Of giving Him more room within us so He can, through us, love and understand others better. 

It's about growing, changing and dying to the sarcasm and snarkiness temptations.

After all --


"It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me."    ... Galations 2:20


Yes, even in a 2017 world where opinions fly as freely as birds, everywhere.

"For by your words you will be justified and by your words you'll be condemned."   ... Matthew 12:37


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And on a rather similar note, here's a quote from Cheryl Strayed, which she made here, shortly after the release of Gilmore Girls--A Year In the Life :

 “This is such a beautiful, painful part of life,” she said. “Sometimes it takes even more strength to remember the love and the kindness and the generosity that we’ve received from people than it is to remember how they hurt us, or how they didn’t live up to our hopes and expectations. To admit to their gentleness or their beauty is more painful, I think. It’s not about fighting, it’s about accepting. It’s about saying, ‘Okay, I can see the whole you and I’m not going to fight you anymore. I’m going to accept you.’”

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