His Words, My Mouth

We attended St. Andrews United Methodist Church in Fayetteville this morning.  Our neice, Hannah, was being christened.  By the way, she was so cute and sweet in her little white gown, holding a little linen doll.  What a sweetheart!

I fully expected a stiff and formal service and a struggle to keep my heavy eyelids from closing.  And the service was indeed very liturgical - lots of congregational reading, acolytes, ceremonial moments and so on.  But there was a surprising sweetness in the place.  I felt a warmth and genuineness from the pastor, the musicians, the singers, and the congregants.  I especially appreciated the kindness expressed through hearty applause toward a young man who played a french horn offeratory and following the choir's anthem.

So I was confronted with an arrogance in me toward these people I had never met, just because they were in a big church building with an oppressive sounding name.  I expected death, yet found life.  I am so sorry that I prejudged this fellowship.

The pastor shared from Jeremiah 1 and God spoke to my heart.  That's where Jeremiah says, "I do not know how to speak".  Then a little further on it says, "Then the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, 'Now I have put my words in your mouth'..."

I scribbled this passage down on an offering envelope from the back of the pew in front of me and thought about those words all day.  You see, I am horrible when it comes to talking to people on behalf of the Lord.  Very often people approach me to share the hard things they're experiencing in life.  I always want to say something encouraging and help them to look to God in their situation.  Yet time after time my words just dribble down my chin and fall to the floor.  This frustrates me to no end.  It's always been easy for me to say something funny and crack people up.  But saying something helpful is much more difficult. 

Recently I have felt like God - my loving Father - has shown me that He is calling me to be more involved in the lives of others who are following Jesus (and those who aren't as well).   But I am really rotten when it comes to conversation.  I always feel like I'm edging toward the nearest exit when I'm talking to someone.  And I never seem to say anything worth saying when someone hurts.

"Now I have put my words in your mouth".

I believe that God spoke to my heart this morning that I am to ask Him to put His words in my mouth - just to breathe that out to Him as I go about my day.  And I can't tell you how that thought causes my spirit to expand within me.

Pray for me.  I really want to be helpful with my words.  I really want to encourage and lift up those who are cast down, fearful, depressed, lonely, sad...  I want God's words to be in my mouth and to go directly to the hearts of those He loves.