Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Learning to be Silent

I have a mouth on me. A mouth that on more than a few occasions has gotten me into trouble. Not the trouble that ends you up in the principle's office or anything like that. The type of trouble that causes you to kick yourself for even opening your mouth in the first place. My heart tends to jump to conclusions before my mind can leap in and say "wait!". My lips work faster than my brain..I think you get the picture. God is teaching me this week how ugly it can get if I don't keep my tongue in check.

This week, being full of exams and books, I was busy studying at Starbucks at school and witnessed the most popular friendship-ruining, self-esteem-drilling, joy-killing conversations ever. And the worst observation of all...is that I could place myself right in the situation. Gossiping. While sipping my steaming peppermint mocha I would observe girls talking happily together, giddy and joyful, however, after one would leave, the hot topics would begin. Critiquing, comparing and tearing down.. How many of us, especially girls can place ourselves in any of those girls shoes...the group or the girl who left. I think God was opening my eyes this week to how disgusting the gossiping 'habit' truly is. Not only on the inside but how it looks on the outside. If I knew someone was listening to me ...boy would I turn red...But what I don't always realize is that there is always someone listening. Why do I have to pick people apart? Critiquing, comparing, tearing down?

How many of us remember walking down the high school halls and having the fear of walking into a conversation that we were just the topic of. What a horrible feeling. This world is projecting enough "not good enough", ugly messages without us to help them along.

This Christmas, I'm going to work on being silent...and I'm going to begin listening. I'm going to find joy in people instead of finding the worst. How often do our mouths project friendship-ruining, self-esteem-drilling or joy-killing things?