Say the right thing at the right time

Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
– Proverbs 15:23 (TLB)


You’re familiar with such phrases as “Oops! I shouldn’t have said that,” “You’ll have to excuse me, but I just had a senior moment,” or “That’s not what I meant!” Well, these common errors can be listed under what is known as Freudian slip(s), which is defined as an error in speech, memory, or physical action that is interpreted occurring due to the interference of some unconscious (dynamically repressed) wish, conflict, or train of thought. The concept is thus part of classical psychoanalysis that was founded by the neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) who proposed the idea from his book The Psychopathology of Everyday Life [published in 1901]. Through research, he wanted to confirm that slips might be due to cognitive underspecification that could take a variety of forms - inattention, incomplete sense data or insufficient knowledge. This condition may be due to the existence of some locally appropriate response pattern that is strongly primed by its prior usage, recent activation or emotional change. Anyway, here is a typical example of a Freudian slip: a young man sends a postcard to his girl friend that read ‘I wish you were her’ (rather than ‘here’– get it?). You can imagine what her reactions would have been. In the case of the boyfriend whose intent was to share his loneliness for a distant lover, simply left out a simple character – the “e” in the word here.

But the question may be, can an individual plan his or her words on a daily basis? Should the same person pour out his thoughts without being considerate of their impact? Here is what I’ve been leading up to as a result of reading an article from the Charlotte Observer on Wednesday, January 20, 2010. In the Today’s Talk section, there was a short article entitled New England loses a big tree and a little history. Since I’ve always been fascinated with trees, I wanted to catch the writer’s approach to the subject. The story line revealed that “Herbie, a massive elm tree that stretched 110 feet into the sky, had to be cut down after a long battle with Dutch elm disease. The tree was originally estimated to be 240 years old, but a preliminary count of growth rings [by a Yarmouth, Maine Forest Service expert] indicated it was 212. Based on the revised age, it was believed that Herbie sprouted around 1798, not long after the 13 original colonies gained their independence.” Other than the age of the tree and its relevant history, several other things grabbed my attention. Firstly, there was the term Dutch elm disease that had been so progressively destructive until the tree’s life had to be cut short. The second thing had to do with Herbie’s caretaker who was alive at 101 years old. Frank K, the town’s former tree warden, had cared for the beloved American elm for half a century. He was among those witnessing the tree’s historic passing. And finally, the statement that Frank K gave to the reporters:

It’s been a beautiful tree. I’m sorry to see it go. But nothing is forever. It’s pretty near my turn. And it’s just a fact of life that life is going to end. And that’s for people, for trees, for everything!

I reviewed this response over and over again in an attempt to read between the lines [that is to determine the metaphorical implications versus the spiritual reality as it relates to human life being compared to a tree and that life is going to end]. My rationale is based on Frank K’s 101 years of existence and perhaps the kind of life he lived. In my mind, I felt that this aged gentleman should have mentioned that although there is an end to physical life, but not spiritually because Christ Jesus promised that his followers are promised to inherit eternal life. So, could it be assumed that Frank spoke, for one thing, out of sadness that Herbie would be gone and the common belief {from a worldly perspective} that everything has to die and that’s it? Did he leave an open door to belief or unbelief with the note that “It’s pretty near my turn?” Did he have a conversation with God who told him that his time on earth was limited and that death was just around the corner? Can you speak what you don’t know? Or vice versa?

I believe that Frank had a senior moment not a Freudian slip. God blessed the man to live for a very long time and that’s proof for the rewards of living a disciplined life that honors the creator. God gave him wisdom and it’s easy to conclude that Frank K knew about Dutch elm disease that was observed in Ohio during the summer of 1930. {Frank was around 80 years old then} He had to have known that this disease was caused by the fungus Ophisostroma and it spreaded from tree to tree primarily by insects. In the United States, the smaller European bark beetle (scolytus multistriatus) and the native bark beetle (Hylurgopinus rufipes) are most common vectors. Adults of these insects construct galleries in or under the bark of dead or dying trees affected by the disease, and lay eggs along the side of the galleries.

It is during the feeding process that the fungus is introduced into the tree. After feeding in healthy trees, the beetles then move to weakened, dying or deal elm trees, or to logs, for breeding, and the cycle is repeated. I found it interesting that systematic-preventive measures can control the elm beetle, but what about the words that we speak to a fellow human being? Proverbs 15: 23 provides insight. It teaches us that a wise person weighs his/her answers, but the unwise don’t think before speaking because they don’t care about the effects of their words. The lesson to be learned is that it is important to have something to say, but it is equally important to think about it first. Whenever there is concern for the impact of a spoken word, there is above all love – which comes from God and him alone. Selah