WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART?

“A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things…and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things…every idle word that men shall speak; they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”  (Matthew 12:35 -  36)

As much as I hate to admit it, I have “put my foot in my mouth” quite a few times.  That’s because I am sometimes quick to react to things when I should have “put a guard on my mouth” and remained quiet.

If you read my blog about animals, I say how much I love them!  In Louisiana, we lived in a neighborhood that was very friendly to wildlife. We had ducks and geese that frequented our yard daily.  There was one little goose with a broken wing and leg, so it hopped when it needed to get around (we named him Hoppy).  We loved Hoppy! 

We had a vet’s assistant who lived up the street, and she would raise ducks that were too weak to fend for themselves.  She taught me that corn was good for them, so a few times a week, I would feed the ducks and look out for Hoppy specifically...feeding him separately to protect him from the other geese who treated him cruelly at times.  My mom would say, “Hoppy doesn’t realize how much he’s loved!”

When I moved to Houston, I was so sad to leave Hoppy…but was happy to find other geese and ducks right in my area so I set out...in the Houston heat, rain or cold to give them a few kernels of corn each week.  Countless people spoke kindly to me, while a handful chose to berate me.

I wish I could say I was always “Christ-like” in my response, but sometimes, I wasn’t…and I’m sorry for that…if I had to do it over again, my prayer is that my response would be more “fitting.”

This scripture above reminds us that we will give an account on the day of judgement for every idle word we have spoken out of our mouths.  I have asked God to forgive me, but I am also seeking forgiveness if I have ever offended anyone with my words or attitude.

Create in me a clean heart, Lord…and please renew a right spirit in me.  Amen.