I find myself all the time reminding Addi and Gray to “use your words.” It’s probably the most overstated phrase in our home outside of telling them to “stop!”
And encouraging kids to use their words doesn’t end there. At work, with my middle-schoolers, I charge them with the same task, “use your words, guys. Be expressive.”
For Addi and Gray, they’re little people in bodies surrounded by a big world. I often feel like the best gift I have for them is feeding them words and helping them process their emotions to be effective communicators as they age. For my work babies, they’ve experienced life, and they need to know that they have alternatives to anger, frustration, withdrawing, feeling unseen/unheard and violence.
I thought the lessons ended there. I was inconceivable wrong. God has pressed me in this current season to use my words. And by using them, I’ve been withheld from using them to write. I love writing and being able to speak truth and life through written word. He’s working on me to use them to be a better communicator in real life. I’ve never had an issue with words, but I’ve not been the best verbal communicator. Instead of asking for what I needed, I’ve withdrawn and shrunken back. Been “reserved” and frustrated inwardly. Processing in the same manner I encourage my kids against!
So here and now, I’m using my words. With my husband. With my family. My friends and associates. On the job with co-workers. Just expressing myself vastly different than what I’m use to. At times, to be honest, I’d rather shrink back and say absolutely nothing, but that’s not healthy. Using the words I’ve been gifted looks different right now, and I’m okay with that.
It's a must that I not only write, but I speak. Use my words to ask for what’s needed, even if it’s God whom I'm asking (He got me together yesterday and made me not want to ask Him anything else though😩).
Be encouraged today to ask for exactly what you need. In doing so, you’ll find that your spirit will be at peace as you live and speak boldly.
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