A Day of Words
Another Day Along the Way
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Another day,
The calendar labeled yesterday May 16. My Palm called it a T, for Tuesday. Me? I decided to title it a Get-Depressed-While-Packing-All-Of-These-Books Day.
It was a day I rarely experience. It was a day which will need to return to me next week for a finished product. It was a day that worked on my emotions.
The books covered 32 rows of six bookshelves. The books became a time machine: each one I grabbed took me into seasons of my life. Books I read, books I studied, books I reviewed, books I investigated, books I loved, books I doubted, books I debated, books I read over and over, books I decided not to keep, books I recommended, books which changed my life, and books I wrote. So many books over so many years. So many books and so little time to prepare for my departure.
Notes I wrote between the lines. Pages I folded to remind me to visit again and again. Marks in pencil, clips in paper; circles for importance, lines for reminders.
The diverse display of books—now in boxes folded or still on floor piles waiting for the next available box—reminded me of what they all have in common. The self-help books, the theology books, the doctrinal books, the prayer books, the church growth books, the fiction books, the poetry books, the how-to books, the how-not-to books, the family books, the commentary books; all the books had something in common. No matter the style or subject or date or author. No matter the cover or color or rhythm or grammar. They all had something in common.
Each book was filled with words.
And that is how life is. Pages of time filled with words.
What can we do about it? Words thought, words felt, words heard, words remembered, and words spoken: What do they do to us?
One of my favorite books is the Bible. One of the most direct usages of words is in a book of the Bible called James. These are the words James wrote about words. Let us learn from these words:
James 3:2-12 (NIV)
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
[3] When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. [4] Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. [5] Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. [6] The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
[7] All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, [8] but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
[9] With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. [10] Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. [11] Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? [12] My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
James 4:11-12 (NIV)
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?
Enough words from me for today. Let us all be careful what we say. As I pack and prepare to move to a new world, I pray words of love will be spoken and words of hate will be silenced for us all.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: Job 29:22-23 (NIV)
After I had spoken, they spoke no more;
my words fell gently on their ears.
They waited for me as for showers
and drank in my words as the spring rain.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Another day,
The calendar labeled yesterday May 16. My Palm called it a T, for Tuesday. Me? I decided to title it a Get-Depressed-While-Packing-All-Of-These-Books Day.
It was a day I rarely experience. It was a day which will need to return to me next week for a finished product. It was a day that worked on my emotions.
The books covered 32 rows of six bookshelves. The books became a time machine: each one I grabbed took me into seasons of my life. Books I read, books I studied, books I reviewed, books I investigated, books I loved, books I doubted, books I debated, books I read over and over, books I decided not to keep, books I recommended, books which changed my life, and books I wrote. So many books over so many years. So many books and so little time to prepare for my departure.
Notes I wrote between the lines. Pages I folded to remind me to visit again and again. Marks in pencil, clips in paper; circles for importance, lines for reminders.
The diverse display of books—now in boxes folded or still on floor piles waiting for the next available box—reminded me of what they all have in common. The self-help books, the theology books, the doctrinal books, the prayer books, the church growth books, the fiction books, the poetry books, the how-to books, the how-not-to books, the family books, the commentary books; all the books had something in common. No matter the style or subject or date or author. No matter the cover or color or rhythm or grammar. They all had something in common.
Each book was filled with words.
And that is how life is. Pages of time filled with words.
What can we do about it? Words thought, words felt, words heard, words remembered, and words spoken: What do they do to us?
One of my favorite books is the Bible. One of the most direct usages of words is in a book of the Bible called James. These are the words James wrote about words. Let us learn from these words:
James 3:2-12 (NIV)
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
[3] When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. [4] Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. [5] Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. [6] The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
[7] All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, [8] but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
[9] With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. [10] Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. [11] Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? [12] My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
James 4:11-12 (NIV)
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?
Enough words from me for today. Let us all be careful what we say. As I pack and prepare to move to a new world, I pray words of love will be spoken and words of hate will be silenced for us all.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: Job 29:22-23 (NIV)
After I had spoken, they spoke no more;
my words fell gently on their ears.
They waited for me as for showers
and drank in my words as the spring rain.
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