Kid Mistake #297

When I was growing up and one of my sisters or I did something only a kid would think is a good idea, my dad would give it an arbitrary "Kid Mistake" number.

One that popped into my head today was when my best friend Liz and I thought it would be fun to toss all my stuffed animals up into a tree. And while it was fun tossing them up there...I distinctly remember looking up at the high branches and thinking...now what? Kid Mistake #297 came to light.

The saying that hindsight is 20/20 is so true. Not just because you saw the results of your mistake, but because as you grow older and wiser, you're better at seeing "kid mistakes" like throwing stuffed animals into a tree—before you make the mistakes. Who but a kid would even think of that idea in the first place?

But it's not just kid-to-adult wisdom that comes. I think of who I was and the kinds of choice I made 5 years ago and I am a very different person now. I feel so much better equipped to make wise choices. But I know that 5 years from now, I'll look back at my 29-year old self and say, "Oh, I was such a child. Look at the dumb things I did."

I really love this trajectory of wisdom growth, because it gives me hope when I see my own foolishness. I know that I will learn and grow wiser in that area, if I rely on God to continue to fill me with his wisdom. By the grace of God, I've got nowhere to go but up.

Outspoken

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my mouth and the things that come out of it. On the one hand, I've been convicted about some of the hurtful and unthoughtful things I've said. It's no secret I have strong opinions about pretty much everything, and I need to learn to keep them to myself sometimes. I'd like to get the perpetual taste of my foot out of my mouth.

But in the past couple of weeks, I've also gotten two compliments from co-workers (with whom I don't work particularly closely) about my outspokenness in meetings they've attended with me. One said she was amazed at the things I was willing to say to leadership—and that they were good things to say. The other said he thought I could be proud of how I am willing to speak up for the edification of all who are listening. High praises! How encouraging! I guess I don't need to just stop talking altogether.

So, I've been praying that I would learn to maintain the good parts of my outspoken nature but lose the foot-in-mouth ones. I've been reading through Psalm 40 verse-by-verse, and today I got to verse 9: "I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O Lord." I laughed out loud when I read that second part. God sure knows I don't seal my lips. (I recently attempted to do a day of semi-silence, speaking only when I needed to ask a question or something in order to get my work done, and when asked questions. I didn't do so well...)

Anyway...the first part of Psalm 40:9 really captured the person I want to be. A person who boldly proclaims what is right and helpful to those listening. Who isn't afraid to stand up and proclaim when I have wise things to proclaim. But also, a person who can seal my lips when what I have to proclaim doesn't have anything to do with righteousness. What I really need is the wisdom to know the difference.