Did you ever wonder where the expression “cool as a cucumber” came from? In the July 2016 issue of “Turning Points” magazine, Dr. David Jeremiah relates the background to this expression. “A British poet named John Gay (1685-1732) wrote a lengthy comic poem called ‘A New Song of New Similes.’ It was a tale of love lost, full of ‘as’ and ‘like’ as he compared his predicament to well-known objects in life. For example, ‘Pert as a pear-monger I’d be, if Molly were but kind; cool as a cucumber could see the rest of womankind.’ That’s the first known use of ‘cool as a cucumber,’ which has become a standard idiom in today’s language.”

In last week’s blog, I quoted what the late Dr. Gary Smalley wrote about anger. Little did I know that I would better understand this subject just three days later, when I allowed frustration to give expression to angry words from my mouth. A few years ago, in the middle of a “heated” discussion with a sister in Christ, I told her that I had a really good book that I would be glad to lend her: “Make Anger Your Ally” by Dr. Neil Clark Warren. Her response was quick and short: “I don’t need that book. I have the Bible.”

This morning, I took a look at the cover of Dr. Warren’s book and noticed the words at the bottom: “Author of the Best-Seller ‘Finding the Love of Your Life.’” Dr. Warren, a clinical psychologist who is often seen in TV commercials for a match-making organization, has written about anger and love. While that might seem odd, it really is very relevant to me and many others. I find that I hurt the ones that I love the most. Selfish actions and hurtful words can cause emotional damage that is staggering.

Last Sunday night, in a recorded sermon on television, Dr. Jeremiah told the story of Captain Howard Rutledge, who parachuted into the hands of the North Vietnamese after his fighter plane exploded in battle. What happened in the following seven years is recounted in the book “In the Presence of Mine Enemies.” On Tuesday, while driving to see friends north of Montreal, we passed a place where people parachute. When I saw someone floating in the sky, I remembered that one of the volunteers for the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation told me that he often parachutes there. What is also interesting is that the name of the area is “Saint-Esprit” (French for “Holy Spirit”).

Whether we are hot because of the sun or because of words spoken in anger, we can find comfort in knowing that God has given His Holy Spirit to each of His children and that He will guide us into all truth (John 16:13) and help us to be self-controlled and holy (1 Peter 1:13-16).

Scripture for the weekend: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”Isaiah 52:7 (NASB)

Thought for the weekend: “Life is the only cure for death, not the prescriptions of duty, not the threats of punishment and damnation, not the arts and refinements of education, but new, spiritual Divine Life.” – Christmas Evans, a preacher from Wales whose life is summarized in the book “50 People Every Christian Should Know” by Warren W. Wiersbe

By His grace,

Steve