Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday October 28, 2010

As I read responses to my letter of yesterday and even took a few phone calls and suffered a mild anxiety attack as large black sedan slowly drove by my house with four sinister looking women leaning out the windows, holding violin cases, I thought to myself, "Why Larry, why did you write the piece about wise women?"

I used a little humor because I knew the truth would hurt a wee bit, but my, the Niagara of nasty verbiage my pitiful attempt unleashed defies description. As I read and listened, a phrase from the pen, actually quill, of John Chrysostom came to mind and I hope you who have spent the elapsed time since you read yesterday's truth missile preparing ever more searing and profane comments will pay rapt attention to Saint Chrysostom's word to the wise:

"No matter how just your words may be, you ruin them when you speak with anger."

In less than 24 hours I have been referred to as "old codger, old crank, old goat, old curmudgeon and a few old unmentionables." I can stand the names if folks just drop the "old." One very angry heir to Miss Kitty even called me an "Old Episcopalian."

John Chrysostom is on point when he teaches the truth about words spoken in anger.

Who among us would not take back some action or word spoken in anger that carried a lifelong blow to some loved one and on reflection many spoken to a perceived enemy would if possible be taken back and never spoken again.

I know I could write at least a small book on "Word's Heard Around The Coffin" word's that burn the soul of the speaker rather than the one to whom they were spoken.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:32:

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

We all at some point have spoken in anger, anger that was uncontrolled, yet all anger can be controlled and we will be better examples when we learn to lean on the Lord and practice control.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2010 Use with credit

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