The Bee Gees: "I Started a Joke"

This is one of many songs I related to when I was at Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind. Whatever I said or did seemed to go wrong. I could write whole chapters on the consequences of my well-intended actions. My classmates certainly latched on to any mistake I made. Children can be especially cruel with their teasing and particularly their bullying.

Listen to this song here:

Psalms 141:3 and 4 (Bible in Basic English) is one set of verses I pray. "O Lord, keep a watch over my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Keep my heart from desiring any evil thing, or from taking part in the sins of the evil-doers with men who do wrong: and let me have no part in their good things."

This foot-in-mouth trend carried on into my working life. I'll never forget the time I was sent by my supervisor at work to take an award plaque to be framed. As I walked, a blond prostitute sidled up to me and asked, "You want a date?"

Before my brain processed the question, a shop-worn comedy phrase slipped out of my mouth. "No thanks, I'm trying to cut down."

Later on, I had to laugh at the total look of incomprehension on her face. Of course the feeling of embarrassment took longer to fade.

No wonder then that Solomon said in Proverbs 17:28 (BBE), "Even the foolish man, when he keeps quiet, is taken to be wise: when his lips are shut he is credited with good sense."

Often times, our pride gets the better of us whom Christ has saved. The charismatic house church I joined made a big deal about speaking in tongues. I now know that we merely jabbered but we thought it was real.

Even so, we didn't ask for an interpretation as we should have done. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:28 (BBE) something even today's charismatics forget. "But if there is no one to give the sense, let him keep quiet in the church; and let his words be to himself and to God."

How wonderful it is that God makes use of our mistakes and foolishness. Someday we'll see the reasons for what we went through and give our Father endless praise.

If Christ hasn't returned by Saturday, I hope to post about the wish to be famous which we all have had.