licking the alter

I remember being a little kid sitting stone still while the pastor gave the hell fire and brimstone alter call. He was harshly visual, describing each part of you that God wanted as the congregation droaned another verse of "Is Your All On The Alter?" I remember him saying the most important part of us to give to God was our tongue. Put your tongue on the alter. Of course, as a little kid, I had to crack one eye open to see if anybody actually went up there and licked the alter!!!! Oddly, no one ever did. We'd moan through another verse and finally get to go to lunch.

Here now as an adult, I clearly understand what he was going for. Our uncontrolled tongue can in fact be the most dangerous weapon we possess. And it's unfortunate that we don't come with a little rewind or mute button to stop us right on the brink of saying something stupid or hurtful. Think if God would have worked on the 7th day He'd have added that feature? Probably, not. It's a character flaw that He left there on purpose. To teach us self-control and discernment. UGH! The hard truth remains: the only thing God gave me complete control over is ME. What goes into me... what comes out of me... and what me does minute to minute. How me reacts to situations, how me treats others, how me makes a difference in the world.

Today, I read a very powerful version of the Serenity Prayer remixed. Worth sharing, and memorizing, although I don't think AA will rush out to reprint all their materials... "God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know...it's me."

In my mind's eye I'm walking down that scary isle and finally licking that alter the way God wants me to.