Monday, June 19, 2006

Nails in the Fence

i don't generally pass around email stories too much, but this one really blessed me.

NAIL 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. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there."

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. 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.....

.....You are my friend and I am honored......

Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole!


particularly the last line.... Lord, may i not leave holes in my friend's hearts from the careless words i may speak.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous10:00 a.m.

    Yes, what a beautiful story. You can't take words away. I heard this story many years ago. In our house this story will bring life and love when temptation arises to hurt. When we were courting I told my husband this story and we both cried. Today we are both aware and are hopeful to avoid "holes" in each others boards. God has shown each of us the wisdom in this. For this i am grateful. All we have to say is " we can't take the holes away" this is our way of reminding and preserving what the enemy would love to rob from us. So when we feel passionate about a household issue we are aware of "each others holes" caused throughout life. Like wounds that "ARE HEALED" we are sensitive that there is now scar tissue where there was hurt. Even though the "tissues" have been damaged at one time they still are weakened and susceptible to injury. This attitude sure has power to bring HIS peace to our home. Praise the Lord!

    ReplyDelete

Outcast, Adopted.

THIS BLOG IS IN NEED OF AN OVERHAUL. there are posts from years back i would not be able to post in good conscience now. i plan to overhaul the blog, and either delete or add a disclaimer to those posts. but that is gonna take time....

The Radical Summons: "
Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." Hebrews 13:13.

"The Spirit never loosens where the Word binds; the Spirit never justifies where the Word condemns; the Spirit never approves where the Word disapproves; the Spirit never blesses where the Word curses." —Thomas Brooks

‎"God receives none but those who are forsaken, restores health to none but those who are sick, gives sight to none but the blind, and life to none but the dead. He does not give saintliness to any but sinners, nor wisdom to any but fools. In short: He has mercy on none but the wretched and gives grace to none but those who are in disgrace. Therefore no arrogant saint, or just or wise man can be material for God, neither can he do the work of God, but he remains confined within his own work and makes of himself a fictitious, ostensible, false, and deceitful saint, that is, a hypocrite." --Martin Luther (W.A. 1.183ff)

i will not let You go: "Jacob's sense of his total debility and utter defeat is now the secret of his power with his friendly Vanquisher. God can overthrow all the prowess of the self-reliant, but He cannot resist the earnest entreaty of the helpless." --Albert Barnes

i will not let You go: "Jacob's determination did not flow from his strength, it flowed from his weakness." --Charles Leiter