Eden, so lovely, so full of holy purpose and enjoyment and rest and communion.
Enter the serpent.
To take notice of safe, the slippery are very crafty.
Yes, yes, I nod; names of some slippery crafty people come to mind and like a good melodrama in my head, I boo them.
I am so quick to see, name, remember, and share their crafty ways. Yet even faster to excuse my own crafty ways, my personal version of the serpent made me do it.
We, the people of Eden Lost, speak the shell game of slippery language. Dazzling with our words, always in motion, is my real meaning under shell number one? Nope. Shell number two? Try again. Shell number three? Only if you press me to be clear do you realize the compliment wasn’t so complimentary. That praise, not so praise worthy.
The Language of Eden wasn’t characterized by craftiness, looking to advance, to cover, to shift blame. No. We were to be people of serving, of love, of fun! We were to cheer one another on, walk along side, sing together. Our words were not to be our weapons.
Today, I am going to “take notice of safe” knowing that “the slippery {I’m talking to you in the mirror, missy} are very crafty.” But I don’t have to be. I can return to my native tongue and speak now in ways that are safe.
Will you join me?
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Thank you to Stephanie Diamond for her contribution to More Signs of Eden Regained. If you haven’t yet, you can down load it and be reminded that you can speak the Language of Eden. I’m looking for a few people willing to write a review of Signs of Eden Regained. Interested? Let me know.
For me, paying attention to the intention of my heart is key in this. Something can appear nice, but my intentions make my words very slippery indeed.
Ah, yes, those intentions ~
Kari,
I do try to question my intentions often. I want to know if my motives are what they should be or if I need a kick in the butt.
I think that taking regular stock of our intentions is crucial to our growth in so many ways. In fact, I would say that people failing to do so has led to decline in many ways individually and as a society/culture. If people were more in touch with their intentions and thus more honest with themselves, perhaps our culture would look different than it does today.
Sometimes in my shifty persona I will engage a person in a topic or about a person in hopes they say something that I can agree with them on. That my negative comment was just in response to what they were saying. NOT that I have maneuvered the conversation that way.. no. Seems more innocent if I did “not bring it up”.
Oh Mark, I get this. I so get this.
It’s all about the heart. That reveals is all.
So true! Thanks for stopping in Alene!
We do need to be much more aware of our tendency to speak in “slippery ways.” Quite the lofty ambition, but I’m up for the challenge, Amy! Thanks!
And thanks to you for popping in!