Stupid tongue

When I was young, I was always picked as team captain by my basketball and soccer coaches. I remember a coach once saying that I was least likely to lose my cool. (I coo’ I coo’) For the most part, I think that characteristic has carried on into adulthood. Although I have many other faults and less-than-admirable traits, losing my cool or my tongue is not one of them. Usually.

But yesterday it happened. I said something to someone I love tremendously, and as soon as it came out, actually even as I was saying it, I wished I could 1. take it back 2. crawl under a rock and 3. immediately apologize.

I did none of those things. Instead, I just continued on the disastrous path of mean words in a very uncompassionate manner. The victim of my attack quickly retreated, and I in my crabbiness and pride stood firm in not apologizing. I quietly brooded and slowly my wrongness got louder and LoUdeR and LOUDER until I had to tell it to stop! OK, enough already. I’ll go apologize. And I did. And although I felt somewhat better, and the person forgave me, I had a really difficult time forgiving myself. I crawled in bed last night still feeling bad. My crabbiness at that point was completely gone, taken over by feelings of remorse.

I’m not a huge fan of Proverbs. Maybe that’ll change once I take a class about the book, but for right now, I find it so repetitive! But it does have much to say about wise people holding their tongue. The verse I’m thinking of is Proverbs 11:12 “A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.”

Agreed.
But I think a wise woman removes that hold to apologize for stupid tongue.