"Use your words!"

How often have I said that statement to my girls when they were small, and still occasionally even now -- "Use your words!" "I can't read your mind, you have to TELL me what you want".

I should listen to my own words.

Don't we all pass through our days missing opportunities to speak words of wisdom, truth, love and kindness to those we hold dear?

This really came to the forefront of my mind this morning. My co-worker/friend, Teresa, called me this morning. I missed the call but listened to the voice mail. Her voice was troubled, almost trembling in parts as she relayed the message that she needed to speak with me about a project that she was working on. It needed to get done as quickly as possible, but she couldn't complete it because she wouldn't be in the office today and didn't know when she might return. You see, her father passed away yesterday. It was completely sudden, unexpected. I don't think he was even out of his sixties.

It made me start thinking about what their last conversation was like, especially because he wasn't ill, no terminal disease to speak of, no danger lie before him. Was it like so many of the conversations I have every day? "Talk to you later." then hang up? We know there's no guarantee of tomorrow, yet we all live as if there were. Do I make all my words count? Do people know where they stand with me? How much love I have for them? Sure, I would hope they do, but if someone walked out of my life today would I have taken the time to say more than "Talk to you later"? Would I regret what my last words were to them?

As I let my mind wander down this path even farther another thought came to my mind, this one most certainly placed there by the Lord Himself: "Do I take the opportunity to use my words with God?"

"Use your words Jamie." Quiet, yet resound.

I must admit that I don't always use my words with God. Sometimes I pout, sometimes I cry, even more times I use the silent treatment. Just like a small child. Just like the very thing I would get so frustrated with with my own children. I expect Him to know me, I expect to know Him, but there are times I don't even form my feelings into WORDS when it comes to God. I just expect Him to read my mind. I must say some days I don't even acknowledge Him. I need something, I want something, but no words come to my lips. How is He to know? I do know that God can read our thoughts, but I really believe he wants us to form words, to acknowledge him, to converse with him. After all, aren't we that way with our own children? We know what they want most the time, but we want them to become more adult-like in their communication.

So if you're reading this blog chances are that you're a person that I love, dearly. And I want you to know that. And I want to hear it from you, too. So go on, use your words!