May 26
Scripture: James 1:26
Source author: Jeanette Levellie
May 26
The Sacrifice of Silence If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. —James 1:26
Aren’t you coming, Mom?” “No, honey, I’ll wait here.” Mom turned up the car heater. “You go ahead.” My brother Danny and I hurried to Grandma’s door, our ears stinging from the cold, our eyes blurred with tears. We’d just come from Daddy’s funeral, which Grandma was too sick to attend. Grandma lamented the loss of Daddy and her other son, who’d died earlier. She offered no comfort for us children, only cold self-pity. She still had six children left. We’d said goodbye to our only daddy. As a teenager, I asked Mom why she’d not gone in to see Grandma with us that day. “Your grandma hated me and blamed me for the alcoholism that killed your daddy. I knew she’d not welcome me in her home.” “Yet you never spoke a word against her all these years.” “I didn’t want to poison your memories of her or your daddy by passing along the bitterness. I cared more for your
happiness than my own justification.” As I hugged Mom, my heart filled with joyous warmth. So this was love.
When speaking might cause pain, love chooses to remain silent. — Jeanette Levellie —