February 28

For Today's Forward Day by Day reading, click here.

Hasn't it been fun checking out the "complete set" we all have at the bottom of our proverbial bags? It's better than Christmas! The hits just keep on spinning! It's like being given a complete set of Star Wars action figures for your birthday.

Wowzers. No shadow box left empty. In addition to Luke Skywalker, you also get Lando...Darth...even Yoda. The total set. One of my best friends growing up had such a collection. And I have to be honest that I've been green about it ever since.

Heck, you could even imagine your complete set looking like a Darth Vader shadow box. With everybody peering out of their little cell, ready for action. But my dorky sci-fi side causes me to digress. Moving on...

Over the past week, we've been picking up and inspecting all the tools God gives us in our complete set. We've looked at Self-Control, the hammer called Faithfulness, the wet blanket of Love, the lei-like qualities of Kindness and the bright shine of Goodness. Today, let's very carefully and very sensitively pick up Gentleness. Gentleness is sometimes difficult to find when you're scrambling for it. It's usually at the bottom of the set, and requires a very conscious act to put it to use. They're gloves. Kid gloves. Ever wonder what kid gloves look like, or what they are? Here's a picture:

Essentially they're fine, white leather gloves that ladies used to wear in decades past. I had to wear some the year I made my debut in San Antonio, and I"ll tell you two things: one, they're hard to find; and two, they are very, very hard to put on. But darn it if they don't look beautiful and give your hand a soft touch.

Gentleness is a wonderful tool. It's soothing, it's quieting, it calms, it allows someone to take it down a notch, even to rest...to breathe. Mothers use Gentleness all the time. And any mother would tell you it comes very natural in some situations, but is often a last resort. The screaming, melting down, red-faced, utterly-at-the-end-of-his-rope child will often have Frustration, Yelling, Spanking or Admonishment hurled at them before Gentleness prevails. I can speak from experience here. A soothing, firm back rub or calm, pacifying words and songs prove Gentleness to be a big gun tool.

Gentleness often comes with a touch, but it can be made manifest in tone or with words. Sometimes it's just a disposition. However Gentleness is used, the outcome is always the same: peace.

Next time you're feeling like this:

Decide if you want to respond like this:

Or squeeze into your kid gloves of Gentleness and be more like this: