Too Many Words

Do you ever wonder if you are using too many words to be heard or understood?

Lately as my 2 year old's vocabulary is growing, he is starting you link more words to make a sentence and it's getting quite difficult to understand him. It was much easier with one word descriptions like “milk” or “cracker”, but now is a “ca hab cakr p?” and if you are not following his eye contact or pointing, it gets a little hard sometimes. I know this will soon pass and his words will get sharper but for now its using a lot of words.

I find myself triggering a thought about my own use of words. I like to talk. Some times its to someone and other times its at them and even just to myself. It helps me process. When I’m at home with the kids all day and my hubby comes up from work(conveniently from the downstairs office), I usually have something to share. I love my husband, he’s a communicator but still I find myself looking into lost eyes sometimes and I realize I’m using too many words. Often he asks if I'm wanting him to respond or if I just need to talk. Yep! Too many words. At times it's hard for me to not speak or pursue a solution this way and to simply think it through without speaking.

More times than not I also find myself going to my quiet time with the Lord the same way. Loaded with questions, thoughts, and concerns, but I am not willing to sit and listen and be quiet. Even more, I know that God knows me well enough to handle my words, but do I really need to speak so many? I want to get better at choosing my words wisely and simply being willing to sit and listen for Him to respond. He knows my heart and my mind better than I do and sometimes I need him to bring clarity, better than talking it out ever can. Which means learning more self control with my tongue so that my heart can hear.

I know this with my man too. I must think before I speak if I want him to really hear me, if I want to communicate with him and not at him. What impact can I have on the people around me if I became a better listener than talker? If I chose to think before I speak and ask the Lord for His help with processing and become a better listener.