With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with
it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same
mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
To earn an income while staying at home with my two
children, Timmy, then 4, and Rebekah, just an infant, I started a home-based
franchise of Happy Things, a company that sold products of wood, pottery, and
stained glass. As Christmas approached, the company promoted two stained glass
items, a lighted white candle with holly leaves nestled at its base and an
angel in a purple garment, holding a golden bell. Still new in the business, I
regularly chatted with my director over the phone. One night, I was on the
phone an unusually long time, reviewing the particulars of the Christmas line.
When I got off, Timmy asked, “Mommy, why were you on the phone so long?”
“I was talking to Cheryl about Happy Things,” I said.
“You must have been talking about a lot of happy
things.”
I erupted in laughter at his literal interpretation.
