Chapter 5: A Gentle Word

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.A wholesome tongue (or mind) is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."

Proverbs 15:1-4

A soft answer, a gentle word, a caring thought. This past week this scripture has been on my mind quite a bit. How can softness of speech overcome the hardness of wrath? How can gentleness in action and tone penetrate people to the very soul? How could truly caring within the mind create any change?

This week Elder Logan and I met Augustin. When we got into contact with him he was at a point in his life where he really needed some people to talk to and help him in his faith in Christ. He's been going through a lot of hard trials, struggling to find a way out of the world and into a deeper relationship with God. He knows so much, and is humble beyond what I can fathom. As we met with him in person the scripture above was on my mind. I tried harder than ever to make every single thing that came out of my mouth, mind, and heart be soft and gentle. Augustin behaved the same way. What followed was a miracle. Augustin opened up to us in a way I've never experienced, and I felt a pure connection with him; we are two children of the same Heavenly Parents experiencing the same life with trials and hopes and dreams and sadness and disappointment, yet through it all we hold onto faith the best we can. It was a beautiful moment, and the spirit was so strong witnessing the truth of the love in that home between children of God.

When we strive to be gentle and soft in our interactions with others, to have a wholesome tongue

and mind, we may penetrate the thick topsoil of the human condition and find the fertile soul. There, the soft seeds of genuine and humble love are planted, and when watered with wisdom and nurtured with faith, they grow into trees of life, whose roots stretch deep and connect the human family of God.

Try to be a little more kind, a little more gentle, and you'll find yourself feeling a whole lot more love.

Life is good. 

God is wise. 

Let Him prevail. 

Don't give up. 

Elder Childers

Sunset over Reading

District pday! 

Just some elders pondering contemporary art

The museum was amazing here, so diverse and beautiful

Bear is a bit bigger than me

Homemade chicken strips, Grandma and Grandpa Childers would be proud