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Forever and a Day

Forever and a Day

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Forever and a Day--Grand CanyonThousands of people hike the twenty-one-mile Rim to Rim Grand Canyon trail. They probably feel like it takes forever and a day during the heat of summer. The trail includes a one-mile hike down and another up. Most hikers require an overnight stay in the canyon. The park suggests most visitors not try that trail in the hottest weather. Temperatures reach over 100° F.

Forever and a day means a long time.

Forever is eternal or always. It will never end, so we cannot add time to it. Forever and a day simply adds emphasis. It exaggerates the idea.

We wish some experiences would end quickly.

They feel like they last forever.

  • Illness
  • Tests
  • Boring speeches
  • Workdays when we want to go home

We look for the light at the end of the tunnel.

We wish other experiences would last forever.

  • Favorite vacations
  • Love for family
  • Fun with friends

All who follow Jesus have an eternal home in heaven.

  • Time without end in perfect peace with God
  • No more sorrow or pain (or boring speeches)
  • Joy beyond anything we can imagine.

At the end of the road, we have no better way to spend forever and a day.

“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17 NIV).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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Salt in a Wound

Salt in a Wound

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Salt in a Wound -container of saltYears ago, people treated many medical emergencies at home. One common remedy was to pour or rub salt in a wound. That solution often caused more pain than the original problem.

Salt in a wound hurts.

 Although salt (or saltwater) helps heal or sooth certain conditions, it causes damage to others. Even if it helps, salt on an open sore stings.

To pour or rub salt in a wound means to make a bad situation worse.

 Our words or actions hurt rather than help.

  • A friend loses a contest, and we praise the winner.
  • Our neighbor’s boss fires him, and we brag about our promotion.
  • A relative’s wife leaves him, and we talk about her handsome boyfriend.

Whether deliberate or not, we increase the person’s hardship, shame, or sadness.

Rather than rub salt in a wound, let’s serve as salt of the earth.

 When other people feel down in the dumps, let’s lift them up. We have the privilege to share their sorrow as well as their joy.

“Being happy-go-lucky around a person whose heart is heavy is as bad as stealing his jacket in cold weather or rubbing salt in his wounds” (Proverbs 25:20 TLB).

Thanks to Pat Childress Conner Stapp for the suggestion. Image courtesy of  Pixabay.

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Crocodile Tears

Crocodile Tears

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Crocodile Tears--crocodile in a swampWe don’t want anyone to cry crocodile tears for us. Neither do we want to cry crocodile tears for anyone else.

Crocodile tears mean false tears.

We act sad about something, but we really don’t care.

Years ago people thought crocodiles cried either:

  • To trap their victims
  • Or as they ate their victims

However, any tears crocodiles shed are not tears of sorrow. You can read more about that here.

Examples of crocodile tears include:

  • Saying we are sorry someone lost a job we plan to take
  • Crying at the funeral of someone we never liked
  • Acting sad we hurt someone we meant to hurt

Rather than crocodile tears, may we honestly care for one another.

  • Love like Jesus loves.
  • Live like Jesus lives.
  • Give like Jesus gives.
  • Forgive like Jesus forgives.

May we be as good as our word (and our tears).

When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow (Romans 12:15 TLB).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

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