Concerning Gossip

If I Were a Preacher...I Would Have a Sermon!

Today's chore brought a lot to mind.  Having been a prolific crocheter since I was in Jr. High I have collected a lot of yarn.   Though a lot of my yarn is organized by color and all packed in the same container, a lot of it was tangled up horribly!   I decided that today was the day to untangle my yarn.

As I was working on the yarn I started to relate it to "yarns" we tell.  I was thinking about all the tangles we can cause when we tell our "yarns"  (gossip)  

The first thing I worked on were the easy ones.  The skeins were still pretty much intact and had some tails caught in the mess of the tangled yarn.  This would represent when I might have dabbled a little bit in "yarns" (gossip)  but listened to the Holy Spirit and pulled out of the conversation.  It is easy to salvage any damage done.

This has nothing to do with the "sermon" but I think there

is a problem when in 2012 I still have yarn bought at TG&Y!  :-)

Now for the hard work of de-tangling the big mess!   The first thing I had to do now is look for the beginning   piece of  a particular color of the smaller amounts of yarn.  This made me think about what I would need to do if I want to take care of the damage done by telling "yarns" (gossip).  I must go back to where I started it and do my best to correct it. 

Unfortunately, for some of those yarns I would pull on it until I saw it was pretty much hopeless!  I had to get the scissors and just cut pieces. This left me with a pile of basically useless yarn.If I don't continue to pursue to undo my "yarns" (gossip) I leave the situation unhealed and most likely will not be able to accomplish much with the relationship with the individual who has been hurt.

If I pursue the yarn that is so tangled up and follow through to the end of each color, I end up with yarn that is useful. If I pursue to correct the "yarns" (gossip)  until I know healing has occurred, the relationship  is salvaged and becomes useful...not a wasted relationship.

The interesting thing I observed is that the more fancy the yarn, the harder it is to get it untangled.  This is still looming over me.  I have not salvaged the eyelash yarns yet!  I can't help but think about the more elaborate the "yarns" (gossip) the harder , if not impossible, it is to heal the pains caused.

It was sad to discover how much of my Christmas yarn was left.  Some seasons I bought these with good intentions to make things for my friends....but not getting to it.  This yarn represents sparkly angels that never made it to my friend's Christmas trees.  Or holiday cup cozies.  Some of the yarn was meant to become a festive hot pad to be used on the tables of my friends.  It makes me think of  good "yarns" that don't get said.  Ephesians 4:29 says, "When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need- words that will help others become stronger.  Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you."  

There are words that go unsaid that should be said that truly benefits the listener.

Then there are the unfinished projects!   I have started several projects and not finished them.  Usually because they are not turning out the way I anticipated, or the yarn is hard to deal with, or the color varigation does not do what I had hoped.  Hmmm...makes me wonder how many friendships I could have done better with had I not given up....had I let God use me before giving up.

My prayer is that God would help me remember the hours it took me to untangle my yarn today.  That was certainly much easier than the untangling that I would have to do if I let myself get caught up in a life of telling "yarns" (gossip).

Exodus 20:16
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Leviticus 19:16
'Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

Proverbs 11: 9;13
With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape... A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Proverbs 17:9
He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends

Proverbs 20:19
A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

Acts 13:15
Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.

Psalm 19:14 
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.