Word of the Day

Each morning there arrives to my inbox a "Word of the Day." Most of these expressions I've never heard or remember reading, which probably has more to do with my lack of vocabulary prowess than with the novelty of the word. Today's term was "billingsgate," and as usual, I looked at the definition and then read a couple of example sentences that employed the word. Billingsgate is a noun which means "coarsely abusive, foul, or profane language." It was no surprise that both examples related it closely to a sailor's vocabulary. Or more specifically, a "marine drill instructor" and "Mr. Mailer's soldiers."

As usual, I read it, tried to remember it, and then promptly forgot it. Until that is, I had to run a little errand this afternoon.

I've been a little dry with my blog topics lately. They're just not coming as fast as I'd like, so I asked the Lord this morning for a new post. Also, my computer has been on the defective side for several months now, making it less easy to post anything. So I took my electronic brain in last week and today they called to say it was ready. I left the glitch guys and was heading home. There I was stopped at a red light when the worst language I'd heard in a long time came blasting through my open car window on the passenger side. Some woman with a high pitched voice was calling somebody else a terribly inappropriate name. And it didn't stop there, she kept at it. I thought to myself, "Those poor children in that car. That must be so embarrassing." And then it hit me. She's yelling at me!!! Evidently, the woman was trying to back out of her parking space and I had pulled up and blocked her in. I was completely innocent -- for the moment. And so I just sat there, letting her rant and rave without daring to give her the satisfaction that I could hear what she was saying. Lands! Of course I could hear her. The entire inside of my car was filling up with odious language! And so I started getting tickled about it. I actually could have pulled up another space, and at the same time block another vehicle, but I figured the Lord might be wanting to work some patience in this woman, and who was I to stand in His way. So I just sat there in hers.

Oh, I know I should be branded for such wrongdoing, but it was just too funny once I realized I was the force behind her BILLINGSGATE!

I did deduce a couple of things though from this situation. One, she probably wasn't local because a local girl would have known not to park in that space. Traffic alone makes it difficult to back out. And secondly, she probably hadn't doused herself in the Word this morning or her else her words wouldn't have been quite so "billingsgating."

Yes, I can almost hear the apostle Paul now. Let no billingsgate come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Eph. 4:29).

Now that's a good word for the day.

Just an ordinary moment...