I've decided that when it's my turn to blog I'm going to talk about real life and how I often get it right – or not. Here's an “or not”.

Dinah's pain was getting out of control last Friday afternoon so we went to the ER at the Bluffton Hospital. When Dinah got on the scale I said to Dinah and the nurse weighing her: “One at a time please” and laughed. The nurse, who was very nice but not petite, said “That might be funny for some people, but it's not for me if I were on the scale and you said that.”  I was busted!

The nurse came into the room about 20 minutes later and I said “I'm so sorry I said that to my wife and to you. I should be thinking of ways to build you both up, not tear you down.  Will you please forgive me?”  Thankfully she was gracious and did forgive me.  Funny thing was, though I needed to go in and out of the ER several times and she was the one who had to push the button to open the door, she was very friendly to me – even smiling!

I'm an otter by personality, meaning I like to make things fun and funny.  But I completely stepped over the line with Dinah and the nurse.  I'll be more careful to keep this otter thing in check!

I wished that I lived out what I believe last Friday night.  If I had, I would have remembered Ephesians 5:29: “Don't 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.”

Look for someone to build up today!

Pastor Mark