Language please! Check your swearing at the door.

 “Language, please!”

I spend more time out and about in public spaces these days.  Before retirement, at least 8 to 10 hours of each day were spent with co-workers and customers. Overall, there really wasn’t much swearing or coarse language to be heard. It self-regulated partly out of professionalism, and also due to simple courtesy for our peers. 

Gracious speech isn't solely a biblical idea, but I did find over 100 bible verses to mirror my work experiences:

Ephesians 4:29 “ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

That’s why some brash public swearing caught my attention this past month. On several occasions, people near me in the store or in a parking lot just let loose with coarse strings of expletives….#%@$ !!  None of them were directed at me, I just happened to be within immediate earshot. One guy was angry for forgetting his purchase in the store. Another woman was venting after an obviously contentious cell phone conversation. #%@$ !!

Look, I’m no angel. I’ve needed my mouth washed out with soap many times over the years.  (Miss Daley, my 4th grade teacher, actually did insert a sliver of soap into the mouth of an older boy she heard taunting us at recess. "Swish it around in there, Jimmy and we'll make sure you clean out those filthy words,” she huffed. She might be arrested for that now). 

It’s wrong to say there’s a ‘proper’ time and place for swearing. God is our companion wherever we go. But it’s definitely not meant for Main Street or public areas where we have families and toddlers in tow. Common courtesy.

So here’s what I did. Last week when I heard a young woman curse into her phone as we strolled by, I said, “Language.” in a firm, neutral tone loud enough to be heard. I’m not sure what I expected, but to my surprise, she immediately said, “Oh. Yeah, sorry!” in her own tone of sincere apology. With that one word, she knew exactly what I meant.  Emboldened - and encouraged - I tried it again. A guy this time, #%@$ ! As he struggled to cram some boxes into his hatchback. “Language, please,” I said in the same even, but firm voice as I walked by.  “Yeah….you’re right.” he slowly agreed, no less pleased with his overflowing packages.  These two folks could have turned on me, irritated and belligerent. Or, they might have had no real clue - no idea why some guy was blurting “language” into thin air (poor man).  But they knew.

We know right from wrong, don’t we? At many levels. We’re made in the image of God. He gave us a conscience. Historically, we’ve absorbed discerning, common-courtesy behavior like this by following the lead of family and community role models. Judeo-Christian ethic. Midwestern values. In a society attending church or synagogue and familiar with the Bible, coarse language sticks out and offends. At least it should. 

What it if somebody did the same thing to me, only they firmly, loudly called my attention to other behaviors of mine... "Curb your selfishness, please!"  Lighten up on the Impatience, please!"  "Insensitive, please!"  "Less Greed, please!"  Ouch. Would I be irritated and belligerent?  I hope not. I hope I’d come around as quickly as those other two folks did…”Oh, yeah, sorry!”  “Yeah, you’re right,” and then get on with things.

Language is a reasonably non-combative topic. But what if I walked down the street of a crime and arson-ridden town? "Stop Stealing, please!"  "No Assaults, please!"  "Stop Destroying property, please"  I might finally meet with some irritation and belligerence, or worse - even if the call-out struck home in their hearts.

Jeremiah 18:12 "But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of their evil heart.'"

Remember Miss Daley, my 4th grade teacher taking care of business with the swearing bully?  I just did an internet search about potty mouths and how to best correct our children….35 million suggestions.  Start there. Pray we can return a few generations to the "common" courtesy shared by people made in the image of our loving God.

Matthew 12:36 “ I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””

What do you believe?

Basketball - I lost the touch!

 I've always loved shooting hoops! Taking it to the rack. Basketball.  Back in the day...

I spent countless hours raining basketballs on the backboard my dad hoisted above our old garage. Not too far from the basket, our driveway quickly narrowed to the right of center. There was also a telephone wire crossing right through our jump-shot range. My friends and I developed clever dribbling skills to dodge an unforgiving concrete wall where the pavement slanted. We honed long-range "rainbow" shots to literally arc over the telephone wire. Today they'd be in the 3-point range. Both skills kept me competitive in pick-up and league games from grade school through university. Win or lose, I loved playing basketball!

My 5' 2" daughter wisely chose diving as her go-to sport, so I drifted away from competitive, run-and-gun hoops. I also saw other dad's and co-workers limping around with injured knees and ankles. No thanks! I officially retired myself to nothing but "shoot arounds," just as I had enjoyed back in the day.

Fast forward 20 years and there I was again - looking out on a well trod, slightly uneven, wooden court. A co-worker had been coaxing me to his church gym for the Saturday morning pick up game. "Just a bunch of guys having low key fun," he assured me.  Telling myself it was a good way to fellowship with other church guys and youth, I finally agreed. 

It was a friendly game as promised, maybe a little more up tempo than I expected. Soon I had my first open shot. Standing below the board, I called out and got the pass. I easily caught the ball and flipped it up for the sure two points. A simple bank shot I have literally made thousands of times in my life. 

Clunk! The ball fell short, hit the rim and bounced back out into play. How in the world? A few plays later I stole the ball and had nothing but a clear court of clever dribbling ahead of me. Racing down for an easy layup I clumsily lost track of the ball. My legs weren't doing what I told them to and I nearly stumbled to the floor. A defender snatched the ball back and the game continued.

Sometime later I rediscovered my rainbow, over-the-wire-shot and managed to redeem some of my earlier - very embarrassing - mistakes. But I would never have guessed it was possible to lose those simple skills. Things I took for granted. Muscle memory, accuracy, coordination. No practice, no payoff.

We are stumbling down the uneven court of a Godless society. God is asking each of us to get back in the game. (that's the voice inside you saying, 'we have to do something about this, for my kids, my grandkids, and everyone else we know!') Have you kept up the skills to share Gods love?

Someone might say, "Yeah, we used to pass out Gospel tracts with our youth group, I knew the 4 spiritual laws by heart." Sure, and I never missed a layup before in my life. I'm using this illustration to encourage each of us to know why we love Jesus. Why God loves us. Know it well enough to "catch the ball," when God passes along someone seeking his mercy and Grace. And He will - or He already has. Take it to the hoop.

It's wonderful to say that you are simply going to love people and winsomely shine the Light of Jesus in everyday life. Be ready for what comes next. To connect the dots of mercy, forgiveness, redemption, Grace and eternity...with Jesus. Don't throw clunkers up agains the rim. Do some reading (muscle memory). Practice with family (no practice, no payoff). Get back to a bible study. Recover some of your best spiritual strengths that have laid dormant since youth group 20 years ago. 

Isaiah 40:29
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength."

What do you believe?

 .

Life Saving Toddler Rescue !

We tried to warn my grandson.

"Be careful...you're leaning too far over the edge..."

He started by just peering over the canoe to see into the lake. Leaned just a little farther over to see better. "Watch it buddy, get back in your seat please!"  No deal. He reached all the way over to actually touch the water...it was irresistible.  

 

Sploosh! Wet, surprised, frightened. Floating on his back, it took a few seconds before he started to cry. What he did not fully realize, how could he -  was that Grandpa was already attending to his rescue. Love hadn't lost sight of him. "Don't worry buddy, Grandpa's right here. We'll get you out of there in a jiffy." With a few paddle strokes and a yank on his life vest we did! 

Lots of soothing words. "You're safe now. Grandpa's got you. We'll get you dried off and into a warm bath." 

Soon after the quick paddle back to our cabin, the little guy began to process what had happened. He looked at me and made an arcing motion with his little hand...fell in the lake. Yup. "Bapa," he said, pointing at me with wide eyes and a lifting motion to credit my role in his rescue.

I smiled. "That's about the size of it. You fell in, Grandpa was right there, you're fine now." Rescue. Reassurance. And sometime later, when he was dry and ready to go back outside, his mother and I sat him down to say, "That's why we wear our life vest and listen to Grandpa's instructions about sitting safely inside the canoe, understand?" Again the arcing hand motion.. “Bapa,” he nodded. I think he understood. For now. We'll see if it ever happens again!

Isn't that how we all test limits in our lives? Look, lean...reach over the edge and sometimes get soaked? God has given us moral limits and unbounded freedom to choose. It's not to "control" us into sitting rigidly in one place. It's because we're never more than a few temptations away from splooshing into the lake.

“God shows his love in this, that while we were yet sinning, He saved us.”  Romans 5:8

God sees sin coming. “Be careful, you’re leaning over the edge…”  That’s why we have a conscience. That’s why Jesus was so specific in the Gospels.   But through it all, God loves us like a Grandpa loves his wayward Grandson, no matter what. 

Bonus: God offers full forgiveness through repentance and faith in Jesus. Not just “another chance” (stay in your seat next time!), but as though our sin never occurred, 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Bapa loves you, Grandson, no matter what. Let’s get back in the canoe.

What do you believe ?