I like to write in pencil (a mechanical pencil).
Something not permanent.
This strikes me as odd, I’m so confident (sometimes) in the words I’m speaking—sometimes to my own detriment. And yet, when I write, I want to be able to erase or write ‘lightly’ so my words can easily be rubbed out.
Considering some recent events, I need to learn to speak in pencil. I wish that was a thing.
On a recent weekend, I made no less than a dozen poor or misjudgments about situations. I was so confident in what I thought an event would be. Where they were. The time they started.
Yeah, I was wrong on almost all accounts.
I think God is trying to tell me something. I almost ruined events for both my kids because I didn’t pay attention to the facts. I thought I read correctly and instead of rereading/verifying I spoke out the days’ plans with such confidence that my husband didn’t question it.
Good thing we needed directions and I had to reopen invitations/emails/etc…
God is telling me something!
Think.
Be quiet.
Check the facts.
Think.
Speak.
Basically, He is telling me to verify the facts, stop taking what I think/feel as fact.
I go a lot off of my instincts and I’ve grown to accept my instincts as fact—mostly because I’ve gained (a false sense) of security by being right so many times. But I’ve been relying too much on those instincts/opinions.
The mixing up of facts and opinions really reminds me of this scene from Inside Out:
I need to go back to a combination of gaining more facts, then using facts and instincts before I talk/do.
Luckily, I have enough humility to say: I am wrong.
But honestly, I think God would rather that I didn’t have to do that so much. You can’t be a good leader if you are wrong more time then you are right and if you lose the confidences of those around you because you don’t base things on facts over opinons/instincts. People will forgive you for a while, but they will eventually stop trusting you.
And I might not be leading a company, a troop of soldiers, but I am a leader in my family and I want children and husband to be able to trust me.
So, I think that my verse of the week is:
Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
— Psalm 141:3
Have you ever suffered of these same mishaps?
