Slickery – The Storm Part 2/3
Once the storm began, we had a few hours of freezing rain. The main interstate that runs through norther Kansas (from East to West), is I-70. And a good chunk of it was closed due to ice. To make matters worse, it’s expected to start snowing in a hour and then transition back to freezing rain.
I was looking out our window and saw our puppy slide on the ice (this is likely the first time they’ve seen ice or snow - they are cold weather dogs so they like playing outside in this kind of weather).
I was surfing social media when I saw the announcement that church had been canceled tomorrow and Patrick is going to broadcast his message on Rumble. All this to remind you (if this is published way after the fact) how slick it already is on a Saturday afternoon.
Anyway, one of the social media posts was talking about how slick it was outside and the poster used the idiom of “slicker than snot.” For whatever reason, that idiom has always bothered me because I’ve never really considered snot as slick. Slimy, yes but not slick. In fact, when you think about someone wanting to whack something with a hammer, you can imagine the person spitting on their hands to increase their grip.
I have spoken before about my friend Christ. We were childhood friends, and he passed away about 30 years ago. Well, when we were in college, we would carpool from the college to the mall (about 30 miles away), where we both worked. I guess since I expressed that I had a problem with “slicker than snot.” he decided to refer to icy road conditions as “slicker than whale snot on an ice flow.” For whatever reason that changed idiom made more sense to me.
Chris was very special in that regard of modifying what he wanted to say to make it more palatable to whoever he was talking to (that also made him a great shoe salesman but that is a different story).
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” - Proverbs 15:1-4 ESV
“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” - 1 Peter 3:13-17
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” - James 1:19-27
Language is tricky to use and crafting how you use it is as important as the message you would like to convey. Maybe if we all tried to speak with gentleness and respect, the world would be a better place.
I hope you didn’t have to drive when the roads were slicker than whale snot on an ice flow…
