Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Verbosi-TEA

Much dreaming and many words are meaningless.......(Ecclesiastes 5:7, NIV)
Yesterday after opening to the front flyleaf of my Jesus Calling, I saw the inscription from Sarah Young with the date 8/25/13. "It's lovely to meet you and talk over tea."
What a memory trigger! One year ago she had served me tea. Constant Comment tea. 
Constant comment is almost an oxymoron for Sarah, at least as an author. With all of her books, but especially her first "little" devotional book, Jesus Calling, she is anything but verbose. Certainly, not given to wordiness. No excess. 
She explained to me that when she writes she often sits before the Lord for long periods. Meditating on God's Word. Thinking. Limited writing. That must be what it takes to say the most with the fewest words. Words that seem to speak to each reader, right where she/he is in life. Words used by God to touch hearts. Meaningful words---not just words to fill space.

This morning over my cuppa Constant Comment, I meditated on verbosi-TEA. In both writing and talking, I often add words, out of nervousness, in order to fill empty space. Too many words. Yet, scripture teaches that such excess actually creates emptiness.
"In many words there is emptiness," is the NASB version of Ecclesiastes 5:7. 
Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. (Proverbs 2:19, NLT)
Constant comment is not necessary. 

Verbosi-TEA is a cuppa that one needs to temper with more thought. Too many words would weaken it. Stir in some med-tea-tation to strengthen it. That's the way to serve that strong cuppa which most believers desire.