Shhh! You Talk Too Much!

There's just so much to say, and so little time to get it all in. After all, I live alone, so when a friend calls or stops by to see me, I release all those stored-up words. I thought about that and how talking so much can really get us into trouble. We witnessed a lot of that during the presidential election campaign. In my post, yesterday, I referred to those words by repeating that children's song, "Be careful little mouth what you say because you sure don't want to have to eat those words that weren't pleasant.

If you can believe it, more than me, my sweetheart was always the avid conversationalist, with great fervor in giving his best motivational pitch to someone needing counsel or encouragement. Eventually, in dealing with the pain from his illness, he rarely offered his opinion on any matter. Most of the time, he was just “at peace”. Some of the things he said during those days, to some, would seem insignificant, but oh so precious to me. He looked at a large picture of our granddaughter on the wall, just at the foot of his bed, and said, “I love lying here and looking at Alexia. She is so precious!” Or, “I love that smell” (the one that came through our bedroom window when our neighbor fired up her chiminea with pinion wood in it). Or, “Have you heard from the kids today?” Or the day when our daughter, Staci, his nurse and I were in the room with him, and he said, “I love you so much my precious darling”. I said, “Who are you talking to, Staci or me?” He said, “Both of you”! His nurse said, “He’s still got it!” Nothing earth shaking or world changing, but I realized those were the things that he valued so much -- seeing, smelling, appreciating the little things in life.

It was the 8th of November, 2010, and we were having our morning devotion. I saw his eyes shut and then he'd open them and gaze around the room. Then he'd shut them. I was curious -- "What was he thinking about?" I thought maybe he was having some divne encounters during those times. I thought it was time for a “heart-to-heart” conversation – just to see what was going on in his mind. I asked him, “Is God saying anything to you while you are sleeping?” No reply. Then I asked, “Are you seeing anything when you shut your eyes? Are you seeing your mansion in heaven? Do you want to quit and go there? I'll be okay, if you want to go ahead and go there. I'll meet up with you some day! But if you want to keep fighting and if God wants us to travel around the world giving witness to our faith and how God healed you, then I’m ready to fight on with you! So what’s God telling you, my Love?”

He opened his eyes, without giving a second thought and with convincing authority said, “YOU TALK TOO MUCH!!” LOL! Once again, I heard God’s voice, in his voice, saying, “Martha, Martha, you are busy about with too many things.” I got the message loud and clear from Ron AND Father God. Yes, I, too, must get into that place of being “at peace” even though there is so much to be done. It was during that season that I started being a better listener than a talker. I'm still learning to do that today. Oh, the lessons we learn from listening more and speaking less.

YOU Talk Too Much!!

Have you ever “let the cat out of the bag” or “put your foot in your mouth” or, quite frankly, just talked too much? I have. I’ve slipped up trying to put on a surprise party or in keeping some other kind of secret. I pray this often: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” Psalm 141:3

I’ll never forget what an avid conversationalist my husband was. He spoke with great fervor in giving his best motivational pitch to someone needing counsel or encouragement. And when he spoke, people listened because his words were filled with such great wisdom. In the latter part of his days on this earth, however, his words were few, but still when he spoke – it was always with words that mattered. For example, the day when our daughter, Staci, his nurse and I were in the room with him, and he said, “I love you so much my precious darling”. I said, “Who are you talking to, Staci or me?” He said, “Both of you”! His nurse said, “He’s still got it!” Nothing earth shaking or world changing, but being on purpose with what he said,.

Then there was the morning that I saw his eyes closed, then he'd open them, and have a big smile on his face. That morning, I thought it was time for a “heart-to-heart” talk – just to see what he might be thinking. I asked him, “Is God saying something to you?" No reply. Then I asked, “Do you want to quit all this, and just go see your mansion in heaven? I will be okay with whatever you want. Or if you want to keep fighting, and if God wants us to travel around the world giving witness to our faith and how God healed you, then I’m ready to fight on with you! So what’s God telling you, my Love?” He opened his eyes, without giving a second thought, and with his convincing authority said, “YOU TALK TOO MUCH!!”

I laughed at his remark then, and I smile today as I type this because it renews the importance of letting my two ears do more listening, while my one mouth does less speaking. Another important verse is Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue, keeps himself out of trouble. I sure do want to stay out of trouble, and I sure do want my words to be few, and when I speak, I sure do want my words to count – words of encouragement, hope and joy! How about you?