Did You Get My Email?

I sense it a lot these days.

“Hey, girl I never hear from you.”

This is somebody’s nice way of saying, “Hey, you idiot pick up the phone and give me a call!” And, it’s ok because…..well they are probably right.

I swallow my pride and bite my tongue and don’t say, “And I don’t hear from you either,” because I know that it wouldn’t be true. Not entirely.

My blessing of a friend Michelle and I were discussing this subject the other day. With tears in our eyes we both acknowledged that we always think about calling….but we just didn’t. Because we had so much catching up to do that we would be on the phone all day. Not that I wouldn’t want to stay on the phone all day with my precious friend. But we know that wouldn’t be wise. We’d be stealing employers time, time with our kids or husbands, or plain unwinding time.

So what is my defense….hear me out. Truth be told I can be lazy. But I also know that my intentions are heartfelt and not out of sheer laziness. Why? Well, for me it’s because I’m a writer of sorts and admittedly not the best one but I try. Does it count that I can sit and write you a carefully thought out 30 minute email vs. a 5 minute phone call? It’s like a personal, hand-written letter sent by a super fast horse and carriage. This is one reason I started this blog…a futile attempt at keeping my family and friends up-to-date and involved. Even so, this small attempt at a hand pecked conversation has not developed into what I imagined in that regard at all. But still I’ve learned a lot about myself in the process.

Is there some sort of unspoken taboo about emails that I don’t know about?

Yes, I love technology. I can sit and write something with screaming kids in the background and no one is the wiser…can’t do that on a telephone. It sometimes can be easier to sit and really think about what I want to say before I open my big mouth and say something dumb and destructive. And, man have I done that! I should alertly bridle my tongue. Sometimes I just need to be quiet.

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity (Proverbs 21:23).

The tongue is powerful.

It can hurt.

It can cause pain.

It can destroy.

But it can also bring truth.

Truth can sometimes hurt.

Better is open rebuke than hidden love (Proverbs 27:5). He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue (Proverbs 28:23). A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed - without remedy (Proverbs 29:1). So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2).

Sometimes truth is not what I want to read or hear. Sometimes I just don’t want to believe what I read or hear. Sometimes, most times, that is wise.

But it’s not about whether or not I believe it…..it’s if whether or not it is true.

The Bible is truth. Some chose not to believe it. Some pick and chose what parts of it they want to believe. A few have rewritten it to suit themselves. But it doesn’t change the real truth. It is still a guide book. A spoken and written instruction book. The true and untarnished penmanship of God. It’s God’s phone call…his personal email…to us. Will we answer it? Will we delete the words of our Lord and Savior? Will we love His commandments or will we chose to destroy the message with unfruitful lip service?

Don’t get me wrong….I am not watering down the importance of personal, human contact and delightful conversation. I love it and need it. Most of the time there is no excuse not to have a face-to-face talk. The clicking of computer keys can not replace the sound of a friend from far or near. The gentle tone of a concerned or well-wishing friend is hard to get across in written text. I would much rather spend an hour at lunch with a friend than just sending emails back and forth for eternity. But sometimes something worth being said is just as good written as it is spoken. After all, it is still me doing the “talking”!

I wonder where we would be if we didn’t have the written word of the Bible to guide us. What if our eyes and ears had never seen or heard the carefully drafted personal letters written by men who were inspired by God. We’d be blubbering fools…making it up as we went along…drafting our own rules and dictating how we think it should be done. Sadly, some live like this…no written guide…no written law upon their hearts…choosing to toss aside the instructions and go at it themselves.

And I’ve unwisely been there.

So where is the line drawn…the perfect balance between the written and the spoken. I believe there is one. Know that I write with love to all who reads…deliberately constructed with affection and care.

So, don’t forget to check your email (or this blog!).