"G" Is For Gentleness

Now it’s time to add “G” to our alphabet soup!  Gentleness is such a precious commodity, and flavors our soup delicately. 

Define It:

To be gentle is “to be mild-mannered, honorable, kind, amiable, lenient, tender, soothing, calm, quiet, peaceful, serene and tranquil.”  It means “to be free from all harshness, roughness or intensity.”  The antonyms for “gentle” are: belligerent, cantankerous, contentious, ill-natured, petty, quarrelsome, aggressive, demanding, overbearing, harsh and stern.  A person who displays gentleness is free of these negative traits. 

Scriptures on Gentleness:

2 Samuel 22:36 NKJ “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.”

Psalm 18:35 NIV “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”  (NKJ says “Your gentleness has made me great.)

2 Corinthians 10:1 NIV “By the meekness and gentleness of Christ I appeal to you…”

Galatians 5:22 NIV “But the fruit of the Spirit is…gentleness…”

Philippians 4:5 NKJ “Let your gentleness be known to all men.  The Lord is at hand.”

Gentleness

Like a gentle falling rain

Freshens earth yet once again,

So a gentle heart will bring

Tender, peaceful, soothing things.

Rita dabbed at her eyes with the bed sheet.  Tears rolled across the bridge of her nose, down onto the other cheek, and soaked into the pillow as she lay on her side.  Sleep refused to come, and she resented the fact that Ralph was already snoring.  How could he sleep when she felt so wounded and unloved?  

They’d had a big fight, and went to bed without speaking.  Once again he had shouted at her; seemed like of late her husband couldn’t talk to her without being quarrelsome.  Why couldn’t he be more gentle and understanding?  She longed for him to be kind to her, to comfort her.  True, she should have been more careful in her driving and avoided the pole she’d backed into.  The bumper was bent and the right side tail light was busted.  She said she was sorry, but Ralph had called her “stupid” and yelled something about money growing on trees…

My Husband is a gentle giant of a man with all the qualities of gentleness.  He thinks before he speaks and very rarely says anything hurtful.  He’s a man of wonderful integrity and easy to get along with, and I’m truly blessed with a wonderful marriage.  His father, Irvin Beachy, was also a very gentle man.  After he passed away in 1992, I wrote a free-style poem about him that I’d like to share with you.

Legacy of Love

Patiently, he waits as mother arranges us

Around the table; and when we’re seated

He asks that we sing together.

Eyes closes, hands clasped together,

He begins to sing, “God is so good,

God is so good, He’s so good to me.”

And then he prays a blessing

On his children, grandchildren,

And on the food,

Praying in hushed tones

To the Savior he loves so much.

He slowly reaches for another piece of celery

As we still sit around the table

Busily chattering like noisy magpies.

Mother has finally seated herself

To enjoy her piece of pie

After serving all the rest of us.

His blue plaid flannel shirt

Faintly echoes the softness of his smile

As he reaches over to stroke Mother’s arm.

His heart, too, is warm and soft,

Like that flannel shirt.

At the door, his tender “good-bye”

And warm hug is coupled with

“God bless you, my daughter.”

I feel as loved and accepted by him

As if I were his own daughter.

Little do I know it is the last time

I will look into his “Jesus eyes,”

The tender-hearted eyes of a soul

We called Irvin.

I’m richer for having known him,

And I’m doubly blessed to have his son

As my husband.

By Elaine Beachy

November 29, 1994

Our Homes would be like a bit of heaven on earth if families practiced the strength of gentleness with one another.  How do we teach our children to be gentle?  First of all, parents must show gentleness in the home; children learn what they live.  There are special tips for parents in an article written by Gary Thomas for Focus on the Family at this website:  http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Faith/2011/strength-of-gentleness.aspx and further Bible study on the subject of gentleness. 

God bless you, dear Reader!

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy