Party Mouth

Last week I attended an after-work party at a co-workers home in honor of a person who is leaving our employ, and with whom I have worked very closely over the last year.  There were only two Christians there, myself included and most of the group had been working in the same office suite for several years.  We shared food and drink, laughter and conversation.  I wish it could all be positive, but it was not.  Most of the drinks were alcoholic, and though I left early enough to avoid seeing anyone drunk, people had certainly "let their hair down".  What bothered me more than anything else was the amount of "catty" behavior being displayed, the all-out gossip and the tendency to bash those who were not in attendance.  One other person who had left even before I had was also the target of some rather unkind remarks.   Frankly, it had me wondering what remarks were made about me after I left the party.

As Christians we are called to be different from the world.  Does it really take being able to gossip and verbally abuse people behind their backs in order to have a good time?  If this were a church setting I would probably be taking people aside and encouraging them to go to the altar and repent of their behavior!  As it was I was happy that I had an excuse to leave early. 

My attitude and opinion of people at work has certainly changed.  I am not as likely to be open and frank in a personal sense with these people as I was before.  It is not that I was personally attacked, but I cannot be certain that the possibility does not exist.  I cannot trust them.

Can people trust you?  Do they know that if you are friends to their face that they are friends when they are not with you?  If not, maybe you need to go to the altar and discuss the situation with God, too.


"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."     Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

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Finding the lost...

Last Monday my daughters fiance's Australian Shepherd dog ran away from his house.  Loki is a friendly but timid dog and is not prone to running away, but this is the exception.  Somehow she got it into her head that she was going to go exploring and ran off.  It has now been 4 days and Randy and my daughter are understandably very upset.  They have talked with countless people, putting together a timeline of events, finding out that she was apparently clipped by a car and a truck just down the street, but ran off limping.  She is wearing a collar, with tags, but not microchipped.  The police, animal control, the Humane Society, local vets and local business owners have all been notified and contacted each day to see if there have been any more sightings.  One person came forward to help, going door-to-door and spreading the word.  She has posted pictures throughout the area and has been very eager to help.  She says she is doing it "not for you, but for Loki", because she loves dogs.  We are grateful for the help.  There has been alot of time and effort expended looking for this little furball.  We are praying for her, praying that our eyes and ears will be opened, that God would bring us the opportunity to reach out and gather her in once again.

I wonder at this, thinking about Loki.  So much time and effort.  I have only met her personally once or twice, yet have walked the fields and roads looking for her, leaving no culvert unchecked, no possible sheltering bush missed.  I know a little bit now about how Jesus must view His lost lambs, the ones who ran away from contact with Him for the sake of a bit of adventure.  They are out there now in the cold and dark, possibly injured, frightened, not knowing the way back home.  Jesus asked for our help in retrieving His lost children.  Are we willing to put forth as much time and effort in reaching them as we are in looking for a lost dog?  We love Loki, but do we love those around us enough to be the hands and feet of Christ and bring them back into the fold?


"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"  Luke 15:4 (NIV)

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