I never knew what might erupt from our second-oldest
grandson, but we have noticed what speech reveals.
Near the beginning of one summer, he developed a case of
strep throat. My wife and I noticed a rash on his face. Then, later, he opened
his mouth wide for some unknown reason, and my wife noticed white spots
covering his throat. At the pediatrician’s office, they swabbed his throat,
diagnosed him with strep, and gave him an antibiotic. One week later, his
little younger brother was diagnosed with the same, so the pediatrician
suggested we bring Levi back to make sure his strep had cleared up.
While on the way, he asked his mom, “Are they gonna check my
toes, Mom?”
“Your toes?”
“Yeah, I need them to check my toes because these Crocs
hurt.”
Curious as to what he was talking about, our daughter asked,
“Baby, are your shoes too small?”
"Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about,” he said.
Kids may say the darndest things, but I’ve been known to say
some things as an adult that I regretted. Wise King Solomon got it right when
he pronounced the tongue as an instrument of life and death. While I can’t
literally bring someone to life or end their life with the instrument in my
mouth, I can cause them to live or die in other ways.
This grandson is known for saying strange things. But since
he can’t invent stuff he’s never heard, we know he has heard them either on the
television, iPad, radio, a DVD, or—perish the thought--from us.
Speech reveals what we’ve been influenced by, which means we
need to tend to our environment. Spending too much time with seedy individuals,
whether directly or indirectly, increases the risk that we’ll copy their
behavior. And our behavior most often comes out in our words.
Speech also reveals our priorities. It’s natural to talk the
most about what’s important to us. Since I love my family, writing, reading,
and grammar, I tend to center my words on them. But since I love God more,
actually the most, I should speak of him more often than I do anything else.
Not to the point that I’m obnoxious, but regularly.
Remember that when you speak, others see your soul.
Father, may the words we speak reflect love for You and
others.
I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
