Snow treasures

Remember our verse in the book of Job? About treasures in the snow? Or as some translations put it, treasuries of snow?
We mentioned at the start that there were many verses in the Bible that reference snow. I've pulled out a few for us to consider -- truly there are treasures here!

Today, let's look in Proverbs:

A word fitly spoken    is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold    is a wise reprover to a listening ear.  Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest    is a faithful messenger to those who send him;    he refreshes the soul of his masters.
 Like clouds and wind without rain    is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.  With patience a ruler may be persuaded,    and a soft tongue will break a bone.  If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,    lest you have your fill of it and vomit it. Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,    lest he have his fill of you and hate you.  A man who bears false witness against his neighbor    is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow. (Proverbs 25:11-18, ESV)

Y'all DID see the mention of snow up in verse 13, right? (Grin)
I was all set to go off in one direction on our study, and was surprised when the Holy Spirit told me another direction to go in . . .  so y'all hang on, and we'll get through this together, OK?

Check out these other translations; I really like to do this and get an idea of the things the writer could have been saying in the old language:

Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time    is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;    he refreshes the spirit of his master. NIV

A reliable messenger is refreshing to the one who sends him, like cold water in the heat of harvest time. GNT

Communication is one of the major themes in Proverbs. If you were with us some years back, we studied the book of Proverbs verse by verse, and many times we learned about the importance of communicating with others.
Prudent communication.
Accurate communication.
Honest communication.
Sensitive communication.
And yes, it really is important to us today, as well as back then. Words and actions are how we relate to one another, and how we help or hurt one another.
Where am I going with this?
I'm like a bull in a china shop here, so I hope you are ready.
I'm approaching the subject of politically correct speech.
Yeahhhhhhh.
Now, let me preface this with the unmistakable caveat -- I am one of the most polite people that I know. I take great pains to avoid offending peeps, and take ownership for things that I do that can hurt others.
Within reason.
I would never say anything to denigrate another human being; but nowadays, even calm and rational politeness has been labeled "hate speech."
Here is what the dictionary says about political correctness:

conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities should be eliminated

People who feel this is important are usually well-meaning, but their goal - to promote equality in language and representation of diversity - has been hijacked. This is now oversimplified and misused by many as a form of censorship; it's a way to shut down those that they don't agree with. Yes, all cultures are significant and valuable; however, not all cultures are equal. This does not mean that some are evil.....I'm digressing, here. (Grin)

The struggle with communication today has made many people easily irritable and oversensitive to the words of others and their own words. It's created a society that walks on eggshells! We have trouble being personal with each other; we are constantly concerned about offending others.
Many terms considered OK in the past are being banned or tweaked. So as not to offend anyone, I'll give some examples based on our family cat:
My cat doesn't barf up hairballs -- she is a floor redecorator.
My cat doesn't break things in the house - she helps gravity do it's work.
My cat doesn't even fear dogs - they are sprint practice tools.
See what I mean?
If we are constantly thinking about what we say, and how to reword it, how in the world can we communicate?
Let's add in another issue that has become commonplace today - the "You're yelling at me!" concept. In this communication dodge, anyone who disagrees with me is automatically raising their voice. In fact, if they are calm and low-voiced, measured and thoughtful, they are still screaming at me, and they are "in my face."  This one bamboozled us as parents some years back, but then we realized that other parents were hearing the same things! We came to the conclusion that it was indeed a way to shut down conversation and communication. After all, when you are expressing your views quietly, it does take you back to be told you are yelling!

All of this is an introduction to our study for this week.  The Spirit pointed out that verse to me, and reminded me of the communication climate of today.... if we want to be faithful, reliable, trustworthy messengers who deliver a message that will refresh our hearers, then we need to study this week!

Hope you will join me!
(If I haven't offended you, of course!)