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- It prevents an inquisitive person from asking the right questions when they know they don’t have all the answers.
- It shuts the mouths of Christians, too afraid of rejection to share the one true hope of Salvation with a lost and lonely world.
- It stops the one who’s hurting from looking for someone to help with their pain.
- It deters adults from admitting they’ve done wrong, and hinders relationships from being healed.
- It keeps a shy, pretty girl from letting her eyes meet those of a boy sitting across the room. It keeps that nice looking boy from starting a conversation that might lead to something more.
- It reserves the right to moderate the crazy laughter and memories made by a group of friends out having a good time.
- It keeps the words “I’m sorry”, “I forgive you”, “Tell me what’s wrong”, and “I love you more than anything”, held under lock and key – unable to reach the ears of someone who really needs to know.
Maybe I’m exaggerating, maybe some of these examples
seem unrealistic, or maybe I’m not that far off from telling the truth. Whatever
the case may be, these thoughts of facing our fears have been floating around
in my mind for some time now.
Several months ago, I heard a quote in a film called Serendipity (yes, it’s a chick-flick and it's also really good) which started to
unlock some answers for me. “If you want to improve your life, be content to be
thought of as foolish and stupid.” Convinced? Neither was I. At first I thought
it was the silliest advice I had ever heard. How can life be improved when the
outcome isn’t what you had wanted, plus you look ridiculous by the conclusion? I
learned my lesson when I found myself in a situation where these words directly
applied.
During this semester, I’ve been thrown into some
interesting circumstances where keeping my mouth shut vs. speaking up literally
made all the difference. So, I took a deep breath and went for it. I stepped
out on a ledge and said what was on my mind. I’d like to tell you all it worked
out perfectly and I got what I wanted. But I didn’t, and at first I thought I’d
lost the game.
Life goes on and looking back I know now that
everything was really going according to His plan. Yes, I was embarrassed. Yes, the pain I felt was real and almost more
than I thought I could handle. And yes, my life has improved because of it. By
God’s grace, anxiety I had held onto was finally lifted. The guessing and worrying
came to an end, because at last I had answers. And given enough time, I’ve
found the strength that comes with letting go and trusting God’s best is going
to happen.
I still don’t have it all figured out, and I’m not
promising life is going to be a bed of roses if you learn to throw yourself out
there. In fact, things might get worse
before they get better. But there’s one thing I’ve found to be true which makes
all the difference. I don’t regret what I said. I wouldn’t take it back. I only
regret having not spoken up sooner.
More often than not, I am sorrier for the things I didn’t
do. That’s saying something, because I for one tend to overthink and
overanalyze every conversation I’ve had when the day is over. But, often it’s
the things I wish I’d said and done that I would go back and do over. So, next
time you or I get the chance to speak, I hope we take it. Even if it seems a little
foolish and stupid.
“The Lord is
on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
(Psalm
118:6)