Digging Deeper – Daily Guideposts

Aug 21st Digging Deeper – Daily Guideposts

Today’s reading seem to be for us in Missouri – especially near and in the Ferguson area – since so many have so much to say about the situation –as is the case – when anything like this hits the “World Wide Media” – “Lots said – Little done!”

When I was a little girl – in the 3^rd or 4^th grade and in the “Orphanage” and our teacher, Sister Florence had a good way – with stories with excellent examples – for we were learning about being gossipers – as some of us kids were told by different NUNS – “Empty Tin Cans Rattle the Loudest!” If someone knew something – in the Orphanage it was so easy to have that story spread – like “Wild Fire!” And the story ended up – not having much “TRUTH” to it.

This lady in a small town went to confession and in her list of sins to the Priest – the lady said that she had done a lot of gossiping and that she was now sorry. As in all confessions – the priest gives to you a penance to do. He told her, “Go home and bring to the Church a pillow filled with feathers – take it up to the top of the Church Steeple – shake the pillow, so that not a single feather is left in the pillowcase – and come back to see me.” Well, that is exactly what the “LADY” did and then went to see the Priest.

The Priest now tells the Lady – “Go and pick up every feather that you shook out of the pillowcase – everyone and bring the pillowcase full of the feathers back to me!” Well, the Lady almost had a heart attack, saying, “I can’t do that – there’s no way – those feathers flew all over the “CITY” and lots will be hidden from me- it’s just too impossible for me to ever do!” “Exactly, friend, every story that you repeated and added embellishments with extra information – just to make your gossip sound better to whomever you were talking – your rumors have ruin more lives – and now you will never ever be able to mend the damage to all those – you talked to and talked about – do you have any idea what you have done ? “ “My giving you forgiveness does nothing to cure the “WILD FIRE” you started!”

I don’t know about the others in my class – if that story rang any bells – making them stop and think before deciding to judge others and the “situation” at hand – since none of us have been so appointed. The reading from “James 4: 11-12 ends with the words, – who are you, who judges your neighbor.” None of us – gossips were at the scene and have no real facts to make judgments – usually we let the “COURT” decide – and we do have all kinds of paid people in the government to investigate – and if all that falls short of the correct measures that have been put in place to secure the correct answers – we may have forgotten that Almighty Yahweh is still in charge of His world and we need to get down on our knees and pray for forgiveness – before it’s too late for all of us. “God Bless all of us in America, now!”