{"id":3553,"date":"2012-06-26T08:13:32","date_gmt":"2012-06-26T15:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/?p=3553"},"modified":"2012-06-26T08:13:32","modified_gmt":"2012-06-26T15:13:32","slug":"words-goads-and-nails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/2012\/06\/26\/words-goads-and-nails\/","title":{"rendered":"Words: Goads and Nails"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n

The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails\u2014given by one shepherd.*<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now there’s a mix of metaphor. And simile. The similes I understand: Wise words are like<\/em> goads, driving us on; they’re like<\/em> nails, pounded in and fastened. But by a shepherd?<\/p>\n

Apparently this is one multi-talented sheepherder, and multi-tooled.<\/p>\n

And the sheep? I guess that’s dull witted us.<\/p>\n

But my thoughts today are about the words themselves.\u00a0Whether we’re a shepherd or a sheep, words are extensions of our ourselves, and the most powerful tools we have.\u00a0With them we both create and destroy.<\/p>\n

Seems they’re the most powerful things God has, too. He just said,\u00a0\u201cLet there be . . .\u201d and all came into being.<\/p>\n

In a similar way, we do the same. At the beginning of anything, we voice our ideas. It may be only to ourselves, but after that a new thing is born.<\/p>\n

They also destroy. \u201cOff with her head!\u201d said the Queen of Hearts, too glibly and too often. We, I’m afraid, are guilty of same. It’s by our words we maim and murder.<\/p>\n

Words are strong, even when soft. We use them casually, absently, too often foolishly. The wise use them with care, and often not at all.<\/p>\n

Words are goads and nails, and a whole lot more.<\/p>\n

Goads of the guide, leading from behind
\nNails of the parent, driving lessons home
\nFertile field of the poet
\nMolding clay of the teacher
\nScepter of the leader
\nDoor stop of the authority
\nBalm of the comforter
\nWedge of the persuader
\nBond of a marriage
\nGlue of a promise
\nLaw of a contract
\nFlowers of a lover
\nHealer of the hurt
\nClarifier of the confused
\nEnlightener of the simple
\nForgiver of the offended
\nConnector of friends
\nWorkbench of the thinker
\nBomb of the destroyer
\nBy them we command demons
\nBy them we appeal to God<\/p>\n

The list could go on.\u00a0Feel free to add.\u00a0Use your own words.<\/p>\n

They are yours to use.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

__________________________<\/p>\n

*Ecclesiastes 12:11<\/p>\n

Next: Let Your Words be Few.<\/em> Coming Saturday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What do nails, flowers and bombs have in common? They all come out of our mouths . . . all part of the strongest force we have.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3553"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3553"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3624,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3553\/revisions\/3624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyattmoore.com\/blank-slate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}