You're listening to Encounter, a simple daily podcast made possible by listeners like

you.

We hope to help you discover sacred moments in the middle of ordinary days.

If you would enjoy more seasonal and topical meditations, I encourage you to download

the encountering piece mobile app where all of the meditations are free as they should be.

Have you ever sent a text or tweet or an email that you then immediately regretted sending?

We all have, sending a message before checking the spelling or grammar, resulting in something

more than a little embarrassing or awkward.

Or posting a message out of anger before realizing how that message might be received

or how it might hurt other people.

The news is full of examples of lives and careers that have been destroyed because of

all tweets, messages long forgotten to have been sent, but still very available to be

read and to hurt.

The theme of this meditation from Proverbs 18 is the lingering power of words, the power

to hurt and the power to heal.

So to begin your meditation, slip into a space, a time, and a place where you can ponder

and reflect.

You may start by listening and joining in this responsive reading and prayer from Matthew

chapter 12 to respond, Lord God, let my words show mercy.

The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good and the evil person out of his

evil treasure brings forth evil.

Lord God, let my words show mercy.

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