The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Whether we like it or not, every time we speak we convey some kind of message to those around us. With our lips we build up and tear down, we bless and curse. One of most destructive things that many of us burden others with is guilt. Some people are experts at guilt and use it most cunningly. However, a great many folks do so unwittingly, or perhaps due to the fact that they learned the use of guilt in their own rearing and it comes so naturally to them. Either way, guilt is a dreadful weapon to wield upon those we care about, or anyone for that matter. It has far reaching effects, destroying dreams and self image, melting courage and love. From an emotional standpoint, guilt might even be classified as a weapon of mass destruction because it damages not only the hearer, but has the ability to spread its tendrils throughout a person’s sphere of influence, both horizontally and vertically, reaching across distance and generations. So let us, as we interact with one another, especially our families, attempt to filter our words so they will avoid the long term damage that guilt can bring. A good filter can be found in Ephesians 4:29, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is suitable for edification, according to the need of the moment, that it might bring grace to those who hear." That’s a good start for everything we say ... and that’s all for today, dear friends.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving
There is something we can share
with those we love and care about
Which they can carry with them always
and which never will run out
It won't rust or fade or dissipate
with the swiftly flying years
In fact, no matter what we do
it rarely disappears
This gift is not a pleasant one
never sought for or desired
Yet we seem to give it anyway
just as if it were required
This thing is guilt, which we've grown
to think of as a part of living
And it never seems to go away
it's the gift that keeps on giving
We bestow it on our children
and our parents and our friends
Who require but a few choice words
for a dose that never ends
It can haunt us in our slumber
invade our marriages and homes
And pursue a person anywhere
he hides or runs or roams
Indeed, this gift we love to give
and seem to always do
Can even outlive the giver
whose handiwork is never through
It becomes a piece of baggage
we must carry all our lives
To share its lifelong benefits
with our husbands, kids and wives
So when you open up you mouth
take care to guard your words
For they cannot be taken back
once they are said and heard
Be sure the words you choose to say
are the ones which you intend
That they bring grace to those who hear
and serve their proper end
Give something better to the people
whom you love and care about
Don't give the gift that keeps on giving
It's something they can live without
By Frank Carpenter ©