The Tongue

Ever had one of those days that you are hit with the same lesson from God over and over again.  Today has already been one of those days for me. Within the last hour, God has put in my path a lesson about the tongue in two different ways.
First of all, it was in my Journey magazine.  This quote struck me and I read it over and over again.  Once something is said, it can't be unsaid.  When we bless or curse, our words are more than just words.
Isn't that true!  I can still hear cruel words that were spoken to me over 20 years ago.  They surface in my heart at times when I am doubting who I am and make me struggle even more to keep a grasp of what is true.
Secondly, I turn to the next chapter in James this morning and it was about taming the tongue.  But no man can tame the tongue.  it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  James 3:8 
I find it interesting that it says that no man can tame the tongue.  So, no matter how hard we work at it, our tongue will always have the ability to be used as a weapon of destruction.  Beyond anything else we can do, it is our words that often hurt people the most.  Read it again.  It is full of deadly poison.
This lesson from God hits a little to close to home.  Not only have I been hurt by the tongue countless times, I know that I have also hurt others too many times to count with my tongue.  I can replay scenarios in my mind of conversations I have had with others that I purposefully have used my tongue to damage their souls.   It is something that comes very natural to me.  You push me in a corner and I am going to come out swinging.  Only I don't use my hands, but my tongue.  How many times has this been referred to as the "wrath of Mary" by my friends. 
So today, my toes have gotten stepped on in a mighty way.  I think a couple might have actually been broken in the process!  I pray that God helps me to remember these verses as we go into this season of gathering with family and friends.  Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.  For the Father up above, is looking down with love.  Oh, be careful little mouth what you say!