Talking Less is Sometimes Best

I enjoy the gift of gab as much as anyone,  but lately I've been thinking sometimes it's best just to keep your mouth shut. This is sometimes difficult for me, because I am a very opinionated person. But then I think of a lady who had a very significant impact on my life, and I remember how her words encouraged my heart. She was always so kind and thoughtful,  but perhaps it's what she didn't say that most affected me.

Rose Morgan, a.k.a. Grammy,  was a lady who loved and babysat my girls. In the mornings I was always flying in by the seat of my pants, so we would only exchange pleasantries. But in the afternoons, we always took time for rich conversation.  

It would begin by her debriefing me about the day. She would share escapades and funny stories she'd had with the girls. Then she'd inquire about my day, and somehow she'd always work a life lesson into our conversation.  I will always treasure the nuggets of truth I gained from her. 

Sometimes though,  I learned more by what she didn't say to me. Monday afternoons, especially when the girls were babies,  I'd tell Grammy about our weekend adventures. Inevitably one of the girls would have always learned a new trick, and Grammy was always interested to hear the news. Whether it was a first smile, a first word, or a first step, Grammy would just smile and say, "Oh that is just grand!" Her eyes and her smile told me she already knew the great news, but she never took those "firsts" from me. She just let me think I was the first one who got to experience these milestones with my girls. Though I never knew this for sure, I always felt so full of gratitude for this thoughtfulness she extended to me. 

When I look back over my adult life,  if I am completely honest, there have been many times when I opened my big mouth and inserted my opinions.  What if I had followed the example Grammy set for me? What if I didn't always make a comment on everything? What if, like Grammy, my words were always encouraging? Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Thank you, Grammy for making that scripture so understandable for me.