30 Days of Proverbs: November 20th

November 20, 2017
Proverbs 20: Live Righteously 

"She who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
Therefore do not associate with a gossip." 
Proverbs 20:19, pronouns changed (Bless it.)

Prepare yourselves, Lady Friends.

 THANKSGIVING APPROACHETH and you know what that means- Pie Talk. 

You've helped get the gravy made and the turkey has (hopefully) been carved into un-golf ball shaped pieces and the blessing has been blessed and the food has been devoured and the kids have eaten approximately half a bite of turkey, thirteen rolls and two cups of sweet potato casserole. You've cleared the table, wiped the cranberry sauce from the kids hands, fixed the coffee and have settled back down at the table with your Mom and aunts and cousins and sisters-in-love and nieces for dessert while the kids run around outside with their cousins like the wild hooligans that they are AND THEN THE PIE TALK COMMENCES. 

You've barely taken that first glorious bite when Someone brings up Someone Else's something-or-other. Maybe it's their new car. Or their old car. Or their kids. Or their husband. Or their recent haircut. Or their need of a haircut. Or their weight. Or the way they fixed the green beans. Or their appalling lack of lip color. But whatever "it" is- you know when it begins. And then it becomes an avalanche of words. Suddenly, the dessert you're enjoying has magically turned everyone at the table into Dr. Phil. There are many and various solutions to real or imaginary problems offered and while it's easy to be taken into these conversations, it's equally hard/awkward/uncomfortable to get out of them. Bless it. The struggle is real. 

Now I'm not saying every family's Thanksgiving is like this. I'm not even saying MY family's Thanksgiving is like this. (Because it's really not.) 

I've gone a little overboard because I'm sure on some smaller level, everyone has experienced at least some version of this at their gatherings. (And y'all all know it's true. DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU DON'T.) And this verse reminds me to keep my trap shut when it comes to other people's business. 

When conversations turn into gossip, your best bet is to run. Take out the trash. Go stir the gravy. Refill your coffee cup. Clean the oven. Slice the can shaped cranberry sauce. Go take one of your kids on an unnecessary bathroom run. (Unless they're twelve. Then they can probably handle that business on their own and that would be awkward.)

 Find some excuse, lame or otherwise to get outta there. And if it's totally transparent- EVEN BETTER. It'll be obvious that you're unwilling to fuel those fires and will go an even longer way to keep them from being rekindled later. So go check that ice maker or the oil in your car. You'll feel much better about your heart and mind and conscience when you do. 

Enjoy your pie but work hard to make sure that's the only thing you consume this Thanksgiving. 

Have a Christ-filed day, y'all! And thanks for stopping by~ Katie.