A Cry for Gentleness Author: Deborah Simmons
If there's one thing in this world I can address with a fair amount of confidence and mounds of past experience, it's self-improvement...or rather the pursuit of it. I've been chasing down the perfect Deb for years now, and while I may have succeeded in some areas (not the perfect part, just some improvement here and there), there are many others in which I have failed miserably. Still, I've managed to muddle through thus far and so, armed with the knowledge that nothing worthwhile comes without honest effort, I continue my quest.
Self-improvement comes in many forms and while physical, mental and emotional development are important (and believe it or not, I've worked diligently on all of those for the past half century), the passing years have convinced me that a person's temperament is another important piece of that complicated puzzle we call fulfillment.
I regret that I am not what I would consider to be a truly gentle person. I define "gentle" as moderate in voice and manner, highly principled at all times, and being kind, forgiving and honest in relationships with family members and strangers alike. While I do possess each of these qualities to some extent (by virtue of my upbringing, rather than as a result of any admirable effort on my part), I do not practice at being a gentle person. I do not work at it, strive for it, or hunger after it. Simply said, I do not try hard enough.
And that has to change.
To that end, I've compiled the following list of my personal requirements for achieving gentleness and it's my hope that I will, sooner or later, acquire that trait by following my own advice.
To be gentle, I must be patient. I must take things one at a time, giving each project my undivided attention until I have either brought it to completion or near enough to allow other projects to take precedence.
To be gentle, I must be kind to others, whether they are a loved one, dearest friend or total stranger, and eagerly offer them the respect I would hope to receive in return.
To be gentle, I must devote more of my time to praising God and appreciating His world, to being thankful for those talents I possess and not pining away for those I lack. God has given me the tools; it's my job to use them effectively.
To be gentle, I must temper my thoughts, my words, my actions; I must keep in mind the fragile feelings of those TO whom I speak and OF whom I speak. A person's life can as easily be destroyed by a stray, unkind word as by the vicious blow of a hand or the violent thrust of a knife.
To be gentle, I must make adequate time for myself, for only after I am happy can I expect to bring happiness into the lives of others. I, like every other human being on this earth, am responsible?to some degree?for the well being of everyone around me. To do so effectively, I must be rested, healthy and on good terms with ME.
To be gentle, I must take the time to really smell, hear, taste, see and feel life. I must smell homemade bread and freshly-brewed coffee, sniff fresh air and dewy flowers; listen to good music and chirping birds, rippling streams and laughing children. I must really taste the food and drink I so automatically consume during hectic days, revel in new flavors and try new recipes; witness more sunrises, savor more sunsets and visit the stars at night. I must pat the tiny head of a passing toddler, feel the silky softness of his still-new hair, and delight in the dissimilarity of the coarse bark of an ancient tree and the velvety softness of its armor of moss. I must participate in my surroundings, not merely exist as a backdrop to everyone else's.
And finally, to be gentle, I must draw from His strength and trust that the Lord knows what's best for me, for my family and for the rest of the world. I must take consolation in the knowledge that? "God, Who knows my limits and daily tests my faith, will never give me more to bear than I have strength to take."
I guess you could say I'm in good (and gentle) hands.
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