To continue from yesterday, I have to back up just a bit. You need to know two things: 1. I LOVE to read. 2. I went back to school last year – one class a week. This semester is Accounting II and it is VERY challenging for me. Almost all of my spare time is spent reading chapters, listening to audio lectures on my iPod while walking (how SICK is THAT?!?!?!) and working problems, reading more and re-working problems. Get the picture?!? While I did get an 84 on my last test, the one before that was a 68…this is a difficult class and takes ALL of my spare time and energy. I have not read a book for pleasure since last summer. I did not even read during my break because I spent most of my time off work catching up on things that didn’t get done during the fall semester when I took Acct I…to find out what I did during the fall semester re-read this paragraph! *SMILE*
So…I haven’t read a book or magazine cover to cover, which by the way is usually how I read my magazines, in sometime. Then, this past Saturday morning I picked up one of my magazines and read this article. It is NOT a parenting article. It is NOT an article written from a Christian perspective. It is an article about saving a marriage. My marriage doesn’t need saved, BUT…with my son coming home my relationship with him (my son) may need some help. For me…it IS an article about the POWER. OF. WORDS. And what they mean in a relationship. I do not know if what I took away from the article was what the author intended, but it was what I needed to read. An article on which I needed to reflect. What I SAY MATTERS. HOW I say it MATTERS. This probably makes no sense to you, but it was in the reading of that article last Saturday morning, coupled with the blog I referred to yesterday that the Lord began to work on my heart. He began to show me that things will be OK. He is IN CHARGE…not me. He has a DIVINE PLAN and I don’t get to see it. Yesterday, I made a comment to someone that God has a plan and I don’t get to see it. This person responded, “What fun would that be?!?!” Meaning, if I know the outcome, then the excitement is missing…think about it for a minute…there is something to that line of thinking! Remember the song from Toy Story, Strange Things? That is sort of how I feel. Strange things are happening in my life. Things that don’t make sense, yet I am feeling a sense of peace.
It was after all of this, that I finally decided to purchase my Relevant ticket. There was so much turmoil going on in early March when tickets went on sale that I could even think about the conference. I even considered removing the button from my blog. But on Sunday morning I bought my ticket, made my hotel reservation…I knew it was the right thing to do.
So…”may the words of my mouth….be pleasing in your sight…”
Lord, thank you. Thank you for the strange things being used to show me that You are in control and in charge. Thank you for helping me realize that relationships change, thank you for helping me hold my tongue in check yesterday when someone was saying some things that were difficult for me to hear. Lord, you and I know this person does not have all of the facts, although they think they do. That was a small victory for me Lord…keeping my mouth shut. Thank you. Please bring Andy home safely tomorrow Lord and help us work through what lies ahead.
Friends, thank you for caring and listening. For your comments, thoughts and prayers. I hope you have a blessed day.
Words are powerful, Mary. I know God will bless your obedience and your desire to give him glory with your life. It will be a challenge when your son moves back with you but it will also be an opportunity to grow and to transform your relation ship from mom/ son to more of an adult/adult.
Praying for you.
~a
Excellent post, Mary! You are so very right about the power of words. Words can be used to encourage and build up or tear down and destroy. As usual I learned this the hard way of course 🙂 I am much more conscious now of my words and the tone and inflections than I used to be, that's for sure!
Praying for you tonight Mary as I read your blog. May our Father grant you peace and patience, endurance and wisdom as you seek to serve Him in everything you do. Blessings to you!