I was one of those kids who got in trouble for talking too much! My report card comments always said something like “Sweet, but talks too much in class.” My first detention was, you guessed it, for talking in class. My favorite pass time, talking on the phone, oh and sleepovers, yes, I would talk everyone else to sleep!
As I got older, I was labeled “easy to talk to” or “social butterfly.” I think that’s polite adult-code for She talks a lot! I used to say of myself, I can talk to a wall and it will talk back!
My husband loves the fact that I’m a talker, because he isn’t! I remember while we were dating we’d walk for hours, and I would just ramble on and on… I think that was one of the first things I loved about him – he never got tired of listening to me talk! Not only is love blind, but it’s deaf too! 😉
Being a talker is actually an insecurity of mine. These are the internal dialogs I have with myself… ‘Am I talking too much?’ or ‘Beth, you don’t have to comment on that, just let someone else talk.’ or ‘Remember, don’t dominate the conversation.’ Ridiculous, I know, but so very true.
As a child, when no one wanted to listen, I wrote in a diary. Now we call it journaling – to which I have volumes of! My prayers, my thoughts, my worries, my dreams, and my rants are held hostage in multiple spiral-bound notebooks on a shelf. I call them my Stones of Remembrance for my children and generations to come; however, they are really where I am at my most free, to say and think whatever I like.
Today, I look at my gift-to-gab as just that… a gift. Although it was often a distraction to my teachers, an irritant to my parents, and an annoyance to my friends, it’s now an instrument for the Holy Spirit.
The Lord designed me to speak. Some people paint with brushes, I paint with words. I create visuals, inspire dreams, and stir up hope. I take pictures in my mind and put words to them – so that what I see others will, too. If I don’t have a tangible audience, I use paper and pen, or a keyboard to a laptop. I take my sorrows and victories and turn them into hope and encouragement for others.
Now I look at my children, my husband, and friends and wonder how God will turn what just comes natural to them into a gift for His glory. We can spend a lifetime dreaming and desiring someone else’s talent, all the while walking around with our very own right before our eyes. God usually takes what is overlooked by us, and unimportant to others, and makes something incredibly amazing out of it!
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Let’s Chat: It’s that time again… you’ve come to the end of the blog where I am asking you to talk! Come on… jump in! What comes natural to you? What everyday thing do you do, maybe even got in trouble for doing that God could actually turn around and use it for His glory? Share with me your dreams… come on, tell me what they are! Do you play an instrument? Do you have a passion for books? Do you enjoy cooking? Or like me do you have a gift-to-gab? Looking forward to chatting with you today!
The Lord designed me to speak. Some people paint with brushes, I paint with words. I create visuals, inspire dreams, and stir up hope. I take pictures in my mind and put words to them – so that what I see others will, too. If I don’t have a tangible audience, I use paper and pen, or a keyboard to a laptop. I take my sorrows and victories and turn them into hope and encouragement for others.
Easily one of the most beautiful and elegant prose I’ve read in a long, long time about writing and communication Beth–and what drives us to do it.
I feel so very much like you do, and relate to almost every word here.
Thanks so much for this,
Marcus
Thanks Marcus! Coming from you that means a lot! It’s when we come along side each other and spur each other on that we can create and produce some of our best work!