WAIT: why am I talking? I’ve been asking myself that question lately. Why did I choose to make that comment or ask that question or send that email? I’m asking in a light-hearted, simply-noticing way--more like an interested friend than the word police.
Here’s what I notice. Sometimes I say things for very good reasons. Sometimes I say things just to get attention and affirmation. Sometimes I say things because I’m complaining on the inside and I want to complain on the outside, too. Sometimes I say things to fill gaps that make me uncomfortable. The more I practice simply noticing, the more I find myself gently choosing to wait.
“[B]e . . . slow to speak. . . .” James 1:19