“How Long Have You Not Praised Any One?”『你已經多久沒有讚美別人了？』

By SOO TAU Translated by Evelyn Lee

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     I have heard a small humorous story. It warms up my heart.

     In a romantic, sentimental open air café in Paris, there was a man staring softly into the beautiful eyes of his pretty girl friend. Under the star-lit night, the eyes of the lovers were filled with affection, the girl was blushing and she slowly pulled her head down……….

     At that moment, the young man spit out a sentence,” Your father…..was he a thief…..”  At such a romantic atmosphere, she quickly moved up her head and said,” Oh no! My father….you know he is a policeman! How can you say he is a thief……..”

     The young man stretched out his right hand and scratched his head, slowly he said,” That is impossible! If your father is not a thief, how could he fly up to the sky at night, and picked the stars which he placed in your eyes…..”

     This story came across the ocean to Taiwan where the same story had a new version. In the enchanted evening, the young man after he looked into the girl’s eyes, he looked again from her head to toes, then from the toes back to her eyes and continued to ask her.” Then, is your mother a farmer?” The girl’s heart was racing like a deer rushing to different directions. She thought she could enjoy some enchanted, romantic conversations. She hurriedly shook her head,” Oh no! My mom works as a government official, you know…….”

     This time the young man used his left hand to scratch the back of his head and asked,” If your mom is not a farmer who ploughs the fields, how could she place the carrots from the field into your legs.

      The same situations, and same players, from Paris traveled across the ocean to Taiwan. The edition of this story could become so different. I wonder in our growing–up process, unknowingly our heads were instilled with wrongful messages, that the kids were unaware of the skill to give compliment to other people.

      Do you want to be happy? Use praises instead of ridicules, this is an absolute secret to happiness. If this is not the case, why the ” Most romantic capital ” is Paris and not Taipei?

     Just think for a moment, how long have you not praised other people? How long have you not received any compliments from other people?

     God give us a small utterance'” We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check…..with the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” (James 3:2, 9-10)

     He also said,” For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12: 34b- 37)