I was eating some cereal and reading Proverbs when Levi sat down next to me with his pancakes. He asked me what one of the highlighted verses meant, so I told him it was one that I really liked to remember. It was "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger" (Prov. 15:1). We talked about that for awhile. This is one of those verses that is so true yet so difficult. Why is this truth so easily seen yet so seldom practiced? Maybe it's because our pride makes us want to prove ourselves right, or better, or superior. Or maybe it's because we don't have reasonable things to say, so we figure we're gonna have to win the argument through intimidation. Or maybe, we parents, have been inconsistent or lax in disciplining our children, so we have to yell to get their attention.
There are probably lots of reasons. But maybe today we can ask God to help speak gently to each other. Deal?

p.s. Later, Levi saw that I had highlighted a verse with a pink highlighter (the other one was yellow & I just use whatever highlighter is close by). But he asked, "Since the yellow ones are the ones you like, are the pink ones the ones you don't like?" Good question. There are certainly plenty of Scriptures that I haven't liked at first read (because they've convicted me). Maybe I'll start highlighting all of those pink.