Brother, can you spare a dead fish??

Bishopric counselor: "Are you familiar with the scripture, 'Reprove betimes with sharpness'?"

Me: "Yes."

Counselor: "Do you know what it means?"

Me: "I think so."

Counselor: "What does 'reprove' mean?"

Me: "To reprimand? or reproach?"

Counselor: "No. "Prove means to teach; so reprove means to re-teach."

Me: "Oh."

Counselor: "Do you know what 'betimes' means?"

Me: "I think so, 'at times'?"

Counselor: "No. It is an old english word that we don't really use any more. It means 'before it is too late.'"

Me: "Oh, that changes the meaning."

Counselor: "Do you know what 'with sharpness' means?"

Me: "I don't think I want to venture a guess."

Counselor: laughs, "It means 'with clarity'. We are to re-teach with clarity before it is too late."

******

Armed with this great insight, and coupled with a great pep-talk, I was to speak with someone in my church stewardship who was taking things in an unapproved direction. Indeed, it was necessary to re-teach with clarity before it was too late.

Now, if you know me very well, you know that I avoid confrontation at almost any cost. You also know that I am phone-o-phobic, meaning I have a fear of speaking with people on the phone (mainly if I am the one who has to place the call.)

I also have this tendency to freeze up in the face of percieved peril. For example, when I hit the tree with my car, I saw the tree straight ahead, but seemed powerless to change the outcome.

So, let's just say that my weaknesses overpowered the great pep-talk and insight. I was flabbergasted by this person's utter confidence in her misinformation and by her claims that were in direct opposition to the various other reports I had received. Indeed, she made it clear that she dismissed anything that my counselor said to her, and was excited that I had arranged training with the Stake, so that my counselor and I could "finally calm down."

Did I take this opportunity to re-teach with clarity? To set her misinformation aright? To validate my counselor's position in providing her with counsel? Oh, no! It was like heading for the tree all over again, with my foot firmly planted on the gas pedal.

I think the task would have had more chance of success if the bishopric counselor had sent a dead fish in my place.