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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: New tool saves lives ... Zipcar rolls onto SOU campus ... DEQ warns Mountain View Paving to cease operations ... Our View: New tool saves lives ... Zipcar rolls onto SOU campus ... DEQ warns Mountain View Paving to cease operations ... Marketta Gregory: Breathe in God's peace and exhale grace Comment By Marketta Gregory More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Marketta Gregory More Content Now Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Marketta Gregory More Content Now Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News So it turns out that the way the human throat is designed – the way our larynx sits a bit lower in the trachea – helps makes it possible for us to create a multitude of sounds and also makes it easier for us to choke on our food. That’s quite a trade-off: Voice or safety? “Words can draw us together or drive us apart, but every time we speak, our throats physically risk choking in pursuit of community,” Rachel Hackenberg writes in “Sacred Pause: A Creative Retreat for the Word-weary Christian.” “We can be silent, or we can be together. We can embark on faith alone, or we can use our words to reach out to God and to one another along faith’s journey.” I think of that after I tell my teenager to stop knocking on my office door when it is closed, after I lecture him on the importance of my work. I risk choking to deliver a message I should have choked back. But the truth? It’s hard to think of the feelings of others when you are gasping for air because you’ve swallowed the idea of the white picket fence. It’s easy for the idea of perfection to get caught in your throat. It comes with weighty to-do lists and piles of commitments, and before you realize it, it all begins to feel like a million splinters passed by your larynx. And when the vibrations of our voice make their way upward, those are the shards and shapes they hit. So, yeah, sometimes by the time the words make it past all our hurts and disappointments they aren’t building up anything or anyone. Sometimes our words aren’t worth the risk of choking. How do we change that? It starts with what we allow in. We can guard against gossip and negativity, and we can welcome what is noble and true. We can find what is lovely and admirable and let it work like a balm on our scratchy throats. When the stress and the worry seem to grow, we can breathe in God’s peace and exhale grace. Then what we say will build community. Then what we say will have real value. Marketta Gregory is a former religion reporter who now shares her own journey of faith with readers. She lives in Rochester, New York, with her husband, their three young boys and one very vocal Pomeranian. To contact Gregory, email [email protected] or write to her at P.O. Box 12923, Rochester, NY 14612. You can also visit the Simply Faithful page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter at @MarkettaGregory. By Marketta Gregory More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Marketta Gregory More Content Now Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501