My Paisley Chair

Have you ever wondered why some verses were included in the Bible? Yep, most definitely, I have. Here’s one that captured my attention:

Judges 12:5-6 “Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan at the crossing to Ephraim. If an Ephraimite fugitive said, “Let me cross,” the men of Gilead would ask, “Are you an Ephraimite?” and he would say, “No.” And they would say, “Say, ‘Shibboleth.’” But he would always say, “Sibboleth”—he couldn’t say it right. Then they would grab him and kill him there at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two Ephraimite divisions were killed on that occasion.”

If ALL scripture is “inspired & profitable” (and I believe it is!) then there must be a lesson within this story that is for me today. So here goes …

The “h”!

Obviously Hooked on Phonics was deleted from their elementary education and definitely was NOT their friend. Leaving out the “h” in the pronunciation of a word is such a little thing! Occasionally, the “h” is supposed to be silent. Surely, we can overlook the mispronunciation of ONE single word.

Of course we can … unless it is the identifier/indicator of something we are trying to cover up!

If anyone has ever said to you, “You must be from the South”, your accent has given you away. As a native Texan who lived in the deep South for 20 years, I possess not only twang but drawl – a dead giveaway of being Southern to the bone. Depending on how brain cluttered, tired, or excited I am, I might slip right into a thick accent unrecognizable even to myself. I cross the state lines of accents, culture, tone and emphasis back and forth without even noticing it anymore – especially when I’m telling a story.

Spoken words have amazing power. Even if the context, tone, volume, and motive are correct, one mispronounced word in a presentation and you can lose your audience in a heartbeat.

Such a little thang (I just type it like I hear it!)

Identification With the Past

It’s not just vocabulary that identifies where we have been but also tone, inflection, emphasis, pronunciation and accent. These are echoes of the past that linger. Live just a little while in a different culture and before you know it, you will have a few lingering fingerprints of where you have been. Environment rubs off on us and the influence stays with us. Though it is in our past, it hangs on and becomes a part of our story. I still pronounce “Government” & “Old Shell” like they do in Mobile, AL. (Some of you just heard “guvment” and “Oshale”.)

What comes out of my mouth identifies where I have been, who I have hung out with, what occupies my thoughts, and fills my heart. Try as I might, I can’t speak like a Mid-westerner! It is noted that to be a successful news anchor, one’s background should not be identified by their accent. Maybe they are identified by their lack of one!

All of a sudden, I’m feeling compassion for the fugitive who could not pronounce that tiny little “h” to save his life, no matter how hard he tried. Gratefully, a silent “h” is not a matter of life and death to me.

I must ask myself this, how hard is it to lay aside traces of the past that identify me with a life I left behind? Especially those subtle familiar traits and patterns that others notice before I do.

I have been made new and old things have passed away as 2 Cor 5:17 declares and clearly, I am not the same! However, I’m concerned about the tiny little things I don’t notice anymore. Things like habits easily overlooked that have become “normal” to me, like my accent, yet others pick up on them as soon as I open my mouth or enter a room.

I don’t know what things are keeping me tied to my past that escape my attention. I do know this though … I am a work in progress!

I don’t presume to know all that is in my heart, but God does! I am certain my thoughts are a tangled mess sometimes and it’s almost impossible to capture those pesky gremlins and bring them back in line with the Word of God. But God will help me!

All these thoughts cause me to bundle these scriptures (Luke 6:45, Psalms 139:23-24, Psalms 19:14 & Psalms 51:10) into a prayer.

Prayer Bundle:

Sweet Spirit, I desire to be like the good man with a treasure chest full of good words that flow from the abundance of his heart. Ready to speak words that bring healing and hope, instill courage, are grace-filled and truthful.

I know there are depths of my own heart and mind that I cannot fathom, yet You know them fully. I invite You to search my heart and mind and let me know if there is anything that offends You.

Continue to renew a right spirit in me and sweep my heart clean so that my words and thoughts will be acceptable to You. Reveal to me even the “tiny little things” that are hanging on that identify me with the past instead of who I am becoming. More than anything I want to be pleasing to You and represent Christ well.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scriptures Referenced:

Luke 6:45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Ps 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Ps 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.”

Ps 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.”

2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Until next time …

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