Words of Wisdom

Last night I had a restless night. My heart was heavy. I went to bed crying and praying. Couldn't sleep, so I got up (carefully, I didn't want to wake my Knight), grabbed my bible and went to the living room. Where I continued to cry, pray and read. I was lead to read in Proverbs.

So much has happened since last Tuesday. Mr. Seminary Student teaches the college and career class at church on Wednesday nights. He made a comment about Soaring Amongst The Clouds and Still Waters. He said they were shrugging responsibilities and that when they commit to something they need to follow it through.

What lead to his comment? The college and career class was scheduled to lead the youth night on 7/18. They were going to do some skits and divide all the youth into groups. They were going to have a lesson appropriate for each group. There would be four groups: middle school boys, high school boys, middle school girls and high school girls. I'm not sure why, but it got moved to 7/25. Hence the dilemma. On 7/25 our church was having a "Disaster Relief mock drill". Our church got approved to be a shelter in a time of need. My Knight, Soaring Amongst The Clouds and Still Waters are volunteers for the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. My Fair Maidens reminded the their peers and Mr. Seminary Student about the mock drill. Our entire church body had been asked to participate in the drill. All they had to do was be the victims. The Disaster Relief team would direct them where to go. Dinner was going to be being served and cots would be assigned. They were even going to have volunteers working with children. The mock drill had been mentioned for the last couple of weeks. It had even been mentioned a couple of times in the church bulletin. Not only that, but a number of our youth were on a mission trip that week. Attendance is usually down when some of the youth are away on youth camps or on mission trips. They youth that don't go on these trips, tend not to attend church because their friends aren't there. My Fair Maidens brought up the suggestion of waiting one more week, due to the mock drill. Also because the youth attendance was going to be extremely low. The college and career goal was to minister to the youth and show them what they do in college in career class. We seem to lose the students once they graduate from high school. That's when my daughter's characters got slandered.

It all took place on facebook. My Fair Maidens were told that they were shrugging responsibilities. That they had first committed to the youth night and they needed to follow that through. They also alluded to my Fair Maidens "trying to stir" trouble within the group. I was flabbergasted. How could ANY ONE think my Fair Maidens would do such a thing?! I'm sure some of them might not know how much they do for our church and and our church body. The amount of ours they put into the quilting ministry, the babysitting they do for free as a ministry to families, the childcare they provide (for free) so that moms can participate in choir or attend the church service, the child care they provide for "mom's day out", the volunteer hours they've put in for Disaster Relief team, and the mission trips that they've been on. They have such a giving, gently spirit. Their names have been tainted. My heart goes out to them. Your name is your name. They don't take the name of "Christian" lightly.

I was so upset, that the flesh in me wanted to lash out. I was in attack mode. But scripture told me to do otherwise. I was lead to Proverbs, over and over again. I was in a hurry, so I asked my Still Waters to send me some scriptures regarding what God has spoken to me about. Below is what she sent me. After some of the Scriptures, she shared a little bit of her insight. My Still Waters is only 18 yr. old, but she is wise beyond her years. She has taught me much...


1.) HOW TO IDENTIFY THE FOOL:

Pro 14:3
In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

Pro 14:15
The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.

Pro 14:16
A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident.

Pro 18:2
A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.

Pro 18:6
A fool's lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.

Pro 27:3
A stone [is] heavy and sand [is] weighty,
But a fool's wrath [is] heavier than both of them.

(Mom, this is me thinking: because he's so DENSE!)

Pro 28:3
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Prov 29:11
A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise [man] holds them back.

(Me again: Must....retain.....self-.....control!!!)

Ecc 10:3
Even when a fool walks a long the way,
He lacks wisdom, and he shows everyone [that] he [is] a fool.

(Me again: I just hope the others aren't fools or they won't see it!)


2) HOW TO HANDLE A FOOL:
Pro 26:4
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.

Pro 26:5
Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Pro 17:10
Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.

Pro 17:14
The beginning of strife is like releasing water,
Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

(Me again: does that mean we've taken this too far already?)

Pro 20:3
[It is] honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.

(Me again: So, umm....give up?)

Pro 23:9
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

(Me again: Uummmm........too late. This is not really in the Bible. Its just a quote I've had pinned to my cork board for a while: "He who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.")

3) WHAT HAPPENS WHILE DEALING WITH THE FOOL:

Pro 17:12
Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.

(Me again: because a bear will eventually shut up and go her own way, but the fool will follow you around, turn others to his cause, and annoy the heck outta you while attempting to soil your character! So come think about it, they're a lot like stupid monkeys! They dare not come level with you to fight, so they stay out of reach and throw whatever they can get a hold of at you.)

Prov 29:9
[If] a wise man contends with a foolish man,
Whether [the fool] rages or laughs, [there is] no peace.

(Me again: Don't we know it!!!)

4) WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE FOOL:

Pro 10:8
The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.

(Me again: God is Just.)

Pro 17:28
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
[When] he shuts his lips. [he is considered a perceptive.

(Me again: I wish he would at least do that.)

Prov 18:7
A fool's mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.

(Me again: We know he's very annoying, but we also know that God is Just.)

Pro 26:11
As a dog returns to his own vomit,
[So] a fool repeats his folly.

(Me again: We know this won't be the last time. But remember:God is Just.)

Ecc 10:12
The words of a wise man's mouth [are] gracious,
But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;


5) WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE WISE:

Ecc 2:15
So I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool,
It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?"
Then I said in my heart, "This also [is] vanity."

(Me again: This is the most depressing book in the Bible. Will the wise be justified before death? Or must they wait until then to be recognized as the ones with the truth? RRRGH! ok.. just trust.... God is Just......God is Just....God is Just..... )