In a Matter of Minutes…

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Proverbs 12:18)

In a matter of minutes the room was transformed.  Let me back up for a minute. I had the privilege of speaking at a women’s retreat last weekend. We had a wonderful time of fellowship, learning and sharing, indulged in a decadent chocolate fountain and were even pampered at a spa! On Thursday evening, some of the women from the committee went to the site to prepare and decorate the main meeting room. For four hours, they moved and stored tables, rearranged chairs, formed a “cozy café” area for refreshments and added colorful autumn touches throughout the room. Baskets, flowers, and pumpkins were displayed on harvest fabrics. When the manager of the venue stopped in, she said, “Who does your decorating? This room has never looked so beautiful!”  A warm welcome awaited the women when they arrived Friday evening. Throughout our weekend, chatter and laughter permeated the room, but also silence, as we listened to what God had to say to us through song and spoken words.

At 3 pm the retreat came to a close.  The committee announced that all the decorations had to come down and the room had to be returned to its original appearance. “If anyone could stay to help, it would be appreciated,” one of the committee members called out. Volunteers came forward and in a matter of forty minutes, props were removed and packed into bins and carried away. Heavy tables were dragged out of the closets and set up in their original places.  We pulled out of the parking lot ten minutes later.

I remarked to one of the women that this sure was an object lesson for me. They had spent four hours building and decorating and in forty minutes it was torn down. So much effort to make something beautiful, and so little time to tear it apart…

                        We take years to build a relationship but cross words or hurtful    comments spoken in a few minutes tear a relationship apart.

                        Members of an organization or business work well together with common interests and goals…one conflict or poor decision closes up shop.

                        A person develops a reputation of integrity…gossip or malicious  words destroy it.

                        We know we should live wisely, yet one impulsive choice takes us down a painful path.

It takes a long time to build something of value and only a few minutes to tear it down. Yes, I learned a lot at the retreat, even during the clean-up.

Reflection: Consider some homework this month: look up verses that remind you how to build and what contributes to tearing down. Can you journal these verses and make them a prayer? Ephesians 5:15-17 is a good place to start.

(c) Marilyn Nutter 2007

These recipes can be made in a matter of minutes. They are not only easy but delicious!

Macaroons

1 can condensed (not evaporated) milk

1 large bag of coconut

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix ingredients until well blended.  Drop by teaspoon onto parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 box yellow cake mix

1 large can pumpkin (not pie filling)

Combine dry mix and pumpkin until well blended. Drop batter into sprayed muffin cups. Bake at 350. The time will vary if you use mini or regular muffin tins, so begin your timer at 7 minutes. You can add a 6 oz bag of chocolate chips if you like.