God has taught me so much in the last few years. One lesson I didn't think I'd ever learn (and must confess I still struggle with daily) is to speak less. By less I mean WAY less.
My friends are sweet enough to call me verbose, but really I'm gabby and oh so LOUD. If I'm happy I talk. If I'm mad I talk. If I'm nervous...you got it... I talk. I am a natural born talker. I will ALWAYS favor the long story (as a listener too), I go off on millions of tangents, and I admit that I often get so excited in a course of conversation that I am so rude as to interrupt. I love to talk.
I think this love of English language stems from me being an extrovert, and highly relationship driven. I want to know more about you, and I want you to understand me. I have yet to find ways that accomplish this so well as talking- but I am trying.
Sometimes my words don't serve me well.
That was the case with my husband for years. I talked; he shuts down. This happened in our mundane daily life, and in my testimony of Faith. For those of you that have stuck with me through my blog droughts you remember that 2009 was the year I dedicated to praying fervently for him. I stopped talking, and nagging and started praying. I prayed fervently for him, I still do and God has answered me in huge ways. MY Faith in the Father to do what HE promises has changed my husband, my marriage and effectively my life. I wish I felt comfortable sharing more of his faith journey with you, but I feel strongly that that is another space in my life where me (and my fingers) need to be quiet for now....after all this is not his faith blog ;)
I will say that our God cracks me up. The ways he's touched my husbands heart are things that I could NEVER have come up with on my own. The one point I will share as an example of this- my husband says he'd like to get into the Word more on his own, I stop talking and start praying, He's not making the time, I pray more, and poof he's doing the PowerPoint's for our churches Sunday service (pastors full notes, scripture cross referencing and all). Is that an amazing God or what??!?!?
The way my life has changed by praying more and talking less is astounding. My voice box aches less and my prayer closet is visited more. I know I still over explain and talk more then my share but we are all masterpieces in progress, and I KNOW Gods not finished with me yet. So I take the little victories and rejoice as if they were huge- because the reality is that for me they are.
I think St. Francis realized a fundamental truth with he said "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words."
