Small, BUT Powerful Words

     With last Sunday being Easter, our pastor used Luke's account of that first Resurrection morning to emphasize how the small, 3-letter word but can signal us to pay attention to what comes afterward.  However, he also pointed out that we often interpret that signal to mean that we are free to forget everything that comes before, and used the example of telling someone they did a good job, but, indicating that most likely some criticism is about to follow, which can be a blow to the person's self-esteem and confidence.  While I whole-heartedly agree, I think it benefits us to consider both the positives and negatives of what comes before as well as after the word but, because we don't want to minimize the positive that may have come before and sometimes we definitely need to hear the criticism that comes after.  Luke was trying to make a convincing case for believing in Jesus' resurrection by using one simple word, which can also help us to keep life in perspective.