My Name is Gossip

I am more deadly than the screaming shell of the cannon.

I win without killing.

I tear down homes, break hearts, and wreck lives.

I travel on the wings of the wind.

No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me.

I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no mercy for the defenseless.

My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea and often as innocent.

I never forget and seldom forgive.

My name is Gossip.

~Morgan Blake~

This is the message I received last Sunday from James 1:19

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

I remember a story about anger. It's called Nails in the Fence.

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.'

Nanay and Tatay, I am sorry.

I'm sorry for complaining so much before. I know you only want to give us, your children, the best in life that you could give. I'm sorry for ever belittling you or thinking . You both deserve only love and respect from me.

Friend, I am sorry.

I'm sorry for having lied to you. I'm sorry for backstabbing you. I'm sorry if I ever hurt you with spiteful words. You deserve better.

For everyone else, I AM SORRY for hurting you at all.

Please let this prayer be a reminder for me to always keep a tab on my tongue, keep it in check so I won't say a needless hurtful word to anyone. AMEN.