Words Fail Me

Hello Friend,

I’m sorry I didn’t return your text, three days at that speech and debate tournament had me lazing about the flat in my pajamas unwilling to communicate with anyone. 

Deeply ironic.

It was great fun though, you have to come to the next one.  It is an amazing subculture.  All the students dressed in their Sunday best, you would hardly believe they are the slouchy creatures that frequent your living room.  They clean up well.

The things they do are unbelievable.  Countless hours of preparation leading to speeches created on the fly, presentations on the classics and dramatic interpretations.  Participants stand in front of an audience, presenting their hearts and minds for critique.  It is ridiculously brave.  Secretly, I used to worry they were a freakish Christian army of Alex P. Keaton’s sent from Family Ties to affect the future. Then I discovered it isn’t like that at all, these kids don’t carry briefcases, they have rolling file cabinets. 

It’s intense though, to have an entire block of time set aside to analyze one’s communication abilities.  Give a person the license to critique you and you will be surprised by the comments you receive.  Then analyze those critical remarks and see if you can control your tongue.  I guarantee that defensive, sarcastic words will launch themselves out of your mouth with a passion that will surprise you.  Being critiqued is hard, attacking a critic is easy.

My girls have taken their share of unkind words disguised as a critique. In every crowd there seems to be one person who forgoes the honour of teaching in favour of scoring points off a kids ego’s by being punitive.  Consequently, my family had to develop a framework of discernment regarding the language of critique.   In fact, every aspect of our own discourse had to be examined.  It has been a struggle. 

Scripture has a great deal to say about our speech.*   Every verse I read makes me wish I came with a mute button.  That way I could say what I want but not be heard. 

Brutal honesty.  That is what a weekend of sleep deprivation gets you.     

There are so many scriptures to convict me and so little time:

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding keeps silent. He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter. Prov 11:12-13

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.  Prov 13:3

He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. Prov 21:23

He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent. Prov 17:27-28

Feeling uncomfortable yet?  Need more?  Look online, you will find a plethora of scripture lists that will have you begging for mercy.  This one strikes fear in my soul,

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matt 12:33-37

In this age of communication, words are everywhere.  Encrypted radio signals just brushed by your nose as you read this.  Texts, articles, internet, phones, people, books…… we are drowning.  My reflection this week was at some point in time, my heart will reach its finish line.  It will contract and release with a final sigh.  My life time of words will be examined by my creator.  No erase history or delete button will correct the staggering amount of twaddle and wickedness my tongue has loosed.  Only Jesus will be able to clean that slate.

So I’m praying my friend.  That our speech might become beautiful.  That it  might become worthy of regarding.  In this age of rash words and unkind language, we might have something lovely to say. 

Miss you so much and thinking of you this week.

Xox Karen   

* That sentence pleases me.

p.s.  This fine specimen of a rolling cart comes from Amazon.