Wedding Wednesday

(via)

I saw this on pinterest and it really struck me. If I'm being honest I would tell you that I don't like the way Garth and I have been talking to each other lately. The tone I use is just horrible and I get so easily angered. Last week he accidently put the recycling bin on my favorite pair of flip flops and I couldn't find them for days. When I finally did find them I was annoyed at Garth and I spoke rudely to him. What is wrong with me? He didn't intentionally try and sabotage my day. He did not know he put the recycling bin on my flips. Where was the grace? 

This little incident was a good reminder to be slow to anger. To take a breath. Relax. Think before I speak. James 1:19 says "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." True story. I really need to put this into practice.

I don't want to be like Doug and Carrie in King of Queens. I hated the way they spoke to each other in that show. They were always putting each other down, being sarcastic, and rolling their eyes at each other. In a perfect world we should always be kind, gracious, forgiving, slow to anger, and slow to speak. But. But! In the heat of the moment. After a long day at work. It is increasingly difficult to not say something snarky. To have an unkind tone to your voice. To get angry. To think without speaking. 

And in the heat of the moment you mean what you say. But it does damage. Words can hurt so much more than we realize. Proverbs 12:18 says, "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." I want to do the latter. I don't want my words to be reckless and damaging. I want my words to be healing.

I'm consciously making the decision to keep James 1:19 at the forefront of my mind. To really put that into practice. Oh what a relationship Garth and I could have if we are quick to listen to each other, slow to speak and slow to anger!

So today I resolve to put these sayings from Mom Life Today into practice. I want to be Garth's biggest fan. I want to build him up and not tear him down. I want to encourage him and help him reach his full potential. A few of my favorites are:

"I'm proud of you."

"I love it when you wear that."

"You still take my breath away."

"I love being around you."

"I trust you."

They are such meaningful statements that I need to say a lot more often. Starting now.