Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul,
and health to the bones.
Proverbs 16:24
The way we speak, the words that come out of our mouth, how we talk to our children, what we say about our husbands … it can be sweet as honey or it can hold death … {Proverbs 18:21} … this is what the Lord is reminding me through my devotions.
It can be all too easy to often speak too harshly, too quickly or too loudly in our own homes. Yes, we want to be kind and gentle and sweet tempered, but our human nature can often be so pushy, it simply takes over … and that is a shame.
I once heard someone say we would never let a stranger speak harshly or in such a rough manner to our own children … and Lord willing, we would stand up for our husbands if someone was putting them down. What makes it acceptable to have such words coming out of our own mouths?
When my children remember their childhood, my desire is to have them remember words of encouragement and praise, love and affection coming from their mother’s mouth.
Of course, there will be correction and guidance spoken, as well, but it can be spoken in love.
It is possible to have a home that is peaceful … and for a mother to rarely raise her voice in anger … we need to guard our hearts for this to happen, however.
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart,
and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Luke 6:45
This weekend, my husband of nearly 12 years gave me the best present … he put up a laundry line in the backyard. Since we’ve been living in our new home since November, I’ve been hanging our laundry to dry beside the indoor woodstove. But now that the sun is beginning to shine and the spring breeze is sweetly singing through the trees, I’ve been itching to hang the laundry outside …
Something as simple as a laundry line deserves beautiful praise and thankfulness … Lord, let my words be sweet.
A kind country neighbour dropped off flowers to celebrate Baby Lavender’s arrival … I shall write a thank you note and whisper back kindness to a new friend …
Bright yellow flowers freshly picked from the fields beside the house, brought to me by my six year old … hug her in return, kiss her forehead and tell her they are so beautiful …
Singing blessings of love over the new pink bundle of baby in my arms … words that show my children how wonderful and precious they all are in the eyes of Jesus …
Sewing with my seven year old in the afternoon calm … she is frustrated but we work through it … words of encouragement are needed and patient speech is required …
the final product … a clothespin bag for our new laundry line …
Now, when hanging the many loads of family laundry … let this little sewing project be a reminder to guard the words that come from my mouth …
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
Proverbs 4:1
by Gigi
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