Sometimes I feel like people have vomit of the mouth. Have you ever been this way? Often times I get like this on a topic that I am passionate about or when asked my opinion, sometimes I don’t know when to shut up about the issue at hand. It is something I’m very aware of and I do try hard to hold my tongue or think before I speak when it comes to these situations. However I do feel like the term “vomit of the mouth” can go another route. Words that you say to people can affect them for their entire lives. Yes, their entire lives. I’ll give you some examples. While I was at our 6th grade “field day” I was told something that hurt my feelings. You know the field days you used to have in school where you hang out all day, play games, kickball, have a picnic lunch, just kind of the end of the year we are ready for summer event. Well I was wearing a hunter green tank top that I had to beg my mom to buy for me because it was from a name brand store that I never got to shop at. So I get dressed that morning and put on the tank top and put on deodorant. Well I got a lot of deodorant on the tank top right under the arm pit. Like it was caked. I didn’t know what I was doing and I didn’t have another cute tank top to wear so I just wore it. No one said anything all day, they couldn’t see it. Until we were playing a game that required me to lift my arms and another girl that was in my class made fun of the deodorant glue stuck to my shirt. I was mortified. My face got hot and I just froze. I didn’t know what to say. Normally I’m a pretty witty kind of girl but nothing would come out of my mouth. A friend of mine stepped up and told the girl “well at least she’s wearing deodorant unlike you!” Or something to that affect. She saved me. We ended up having a great day after that. It was years later I saw this girl at a local birthday venue while I was there for a party. She hugged me and spoke to me like all was good and how wonderful it was to see me. All I could think about was the deodorant story. How every day I put on deodorant, I do it which such carefulness to make sure I don’t get it anywhere. Every time I wear a tank top I constantly lift up my arms every time I see a mirror to “check.” Words have an effect on people.
Another example in my current years of life is that I was at a church function and I was mingling with ladies I knew and I came across someone I have never met. With the outgoing personality I have, I immediately walked up to her and I introduced myself. We made small talk and I asked where she worked. She told me and I responded “oh that’s great!” She looked me dead in the face and asked “Do you even know where that is?” The place of employment she was talking about was close by to where my dad used to work and I also had a friend in college that worked at that same establishment. It is off the beaten path and if you didn’t know it was there you would have probably missed it. I felt like she was questioning my response, maybe my intelligence. But why even question it at all? So I responded “Yes I know exactly where it is, my dad worked at XYZ before he was killed in a work related accident and my friend XYZ worked there while we were in college, I actually applied for a job there once as well.” Her face was priceless. But why did she have to challenge me? Why are we not empowering others, especially women?
These instances, and many more, always find a way to my head. I’m sure some of my guy readers will think this blog is pretty silly. But I know my ladies will understand. We harp on things, we don’t forget things, and we carry these burdens with us day in and day out.
We are always taught to not let these things define us. I don’t think they have. I just think it is a reminder of how to treat people, how to communicate effectively and to be more like Jesus. I know Jesus wouldn’t have made fun of me. I know He wouldn’t have challenged me. The same way He doesn’t want to be challenged or made fun of.
We choose to live our lives one way or the other. We consciously make a decision to either walk a path of righteousness or path of despair. I choose the higher road. I choose to walk the path Jesus would want me to walk. I choose to be kind, to be cautious of my words, my tone. This is hard to do at times, especially when you feel you are being judged, ridiculed and talked about. I know Jesus felt this way. I know the crowd was talking about him, there were people not in favor of His ways, His path, spreading His word. He didn’t care! He kept walking the path of righteousness. He went as far as death, so we could live. He wants us to do good, and by doing good, spreading His word and being His hands and feet, we are walking the path He has laid before us. We are being disciples of Christ and keeping Jesus in our hearts and in our homes. Teaching our children to love Him and to do right by Him.
So I ask you, my friends, to please think before you speak. Truly defining the meaning of What Would Jesus Do?
Hugs and Loves,
Ali
“Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10