Crystal Light

There's this thing that I do.  Someone will ask me to help out with something and when it is something that will put me in front of people, I turn them down.  I get mad at myself about it because it's usually something I would enjoy doing.  Like singing or reading aloud to a group.

Which brings us to last night.

My family, a co-worker and I went to our church's last summer barbeque for the season.  The barbeque always ends with a devotion and last night, the man who was leading the devotion asked me if I would read a passage of scripture.

My inclination was to turn him down.  So, I quickly said "Sure." before I could overthink it and come up with the 100 reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea.

He thanked me and told me what I would be reading. 

I scanned the verses and checked with my husband on how to pronounce one word and sat back and enjoyed the beginning of the devotion.

When it came to me, I began to read.

I should have checked more closely for words that are uncommon to me.

The scripture was Revelations 21:15-25.

In verse 20, there are a whole lot of jewels that I have never even heard of, let alone knew how to say.

I took a deep breath, and assured myself that if I spoke with confidence and just said them phonetically, no one would know the difference.  Besides, no one else had a bible in front of them anyway.

I plunged in with both feet.
Onyx, Carnelian, Chrysolite...

It was on Chrysolite that I almost lost it.

I pronounced it Crystal Light and nearly broke out in hysterical laughter. 

(Long few weeks and lack of sleep will do that to me.)

I summoned as much self control as I could muster and continued with the others...

Beryl, Topaz, Chrysoprase,  and Jacinth.

 

That barbeque will forever be etched in my brain

as the time I said there were Crystal Light jewels in heaven.

 

Maybe I should go back to just saying no.