Oh be careful little mouth...

So, during the month of August, our pastor preached a series on the tongue and taming it and all that goes along with that.  Apparently I should have been listening a bit more closely since I had a major foul-up in that department last week.  The person I offended spoke with me about it yesterday, and I think there is just about nothing more humbling than hearing that something you said out of stupidity hurt someone.  The thing is, as I was saying the ugly words, I even thought, Stop talking!  I was just frustrated and overreacting because of another situation, if that makes sense, and dragging this wonderful person into it.  Why is it that I just like to hear myself talk way too much and don't know when to stop?  God is pretty clear about talking too much.  "Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues" (Prov. 17:28).  Oh, to just be a quiet fool!  Or how about this one: "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise" (Prov. 10:19).  So, all this is to say, I need to do a better job of listening to the Holy Spirit and taming my tongue.  I have been consumed since the conversation with feelings of remorse and frustration over my words.  If only I were a naturally quiet person!

In other humbling experiences of late, I have decided that parenting is the only job that I have had where more years of experience do not equal more knowledge.  I feel like after five years I should have this job down pretty well (or at least well enough that I don't have to be humbled so much), but after reflecting on it, I think the most knowledgeable I was as a parent was when I had 700 students and no children.  I could be as critical as I wanted and say what the parents were doing wrong and what I would do if I were the parent, but ultimately I had no idea how hard it is to be a parent.  I think with parenting there is a lot of pride, but the hard thing is, your product has a mind of its own and a will of its own.  When I defend my children, though they might be in the wrong, I know so much of that comes from my own pride and unwillingness to admit that I might be wrong.  I wonder if the Duggars--with their 19 kids--still have parenting insecurities after so many kids and so many years of parenting?  I would like to think that, at some point, I'll get the hang of this job.  However, maybe humility is one reason (of many!) that children are a blessing!