Do you ever catch yourself sounding just like your parents?!?!

Our daughter, Cadee, has her first cold.  At five months old, she hasn't figured out how to blow her nose into a tissue, so we're resorting to the miserable adventure of saline drops and a nasal aspirator to try and relieve her congestion.  Let me tell you, she emphatically does not care for this procedure.  In the wee hours of the morning, as I paced around the living room floor rocking Cadee in my arms in an upright position so her head would drain and she could sleep, I caught myself whispering words of comfort to her that echoed words my mother would speak to comfort me.  As I eased into a rocking chair where my baby and I would snuggle together until dawn, I started to reflect on the words I speak.

My husband and I have remarked to one another that we've got to be more cautious with our language, lest our daughter's first word be something that might embarrass us both!  A friend recently shared a story about her acquaintance who was driving and had to slam the brakes to avoid an accident.  From the backseat, her toddler muttered an expletive, which, she told my friend, was shocking to her not only in the fact that her toddler spoke a curse word, but that he used it appropriately in context!

I feel certain our daughter's presence in my life will offer me much opportunity for insight and revelation about the way I present myself to her and to others.  So now, I'm thinking about words and what they say about me.  Do I speak loving words?  Gentle words?  Words spoken out of honor and respect?  Honest words? Thoughtful words?  How often do I speak words that I'd rather not hear repeated back to me?  Are my words well-considered or just blurted out?  Do I utter words in prayer regularly?  Do my words convey God's grace and love to others?  And do they exhibit God's presence in my own life?

What might our society be like if we each spent some time reflecting on the words we choose and the ways in which we use them?  Might civility and reverence be resurrected?  If we catch ourselves uttering words of our parents, isn't it likely that our children will do the same?  So, I suppose, my words are part of the legacy that I will leave.  What will your legacy sound like?

Grace and peace to you as you journey.

Yours in Christ,  

~~Jennifer

10/04/07

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