The Source of Our Words

“Daddy, do you know where the best place in the world is?” my five-year-old son, Trey, asked.

His father was sitting on the opposite sofa reading the paper.

John looked up, smiled, and said, “No, son. Where is the best place in the world?”

“Daddy, the bestest place in the world is sitting in mommy’s lap.” At that moment, five-year-old Trey was sitting in my lap!

Why did Trey think sitting in my lap was so wonderful? When he sat in my lap that is where I would read to him and sing to him. I would whisper in his ear, “Mommy loves you. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.” I would also teach him. “Trey, I know it was hard to move from Texas to Georgia. I know you miss your friends. But God has a plan for our family. He will give you new friends.”

When Trey sat in my lap it allowed me to speak words of love and life into his heart! Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Fast forward to Trey at sixteen years old, just receiving the following news from his dad: “Son, it looks like God is going to move us from Georgia to Louisiana.”

I sat down beside Trey as he talked to his dad. Tears welled up in his big blue eyes. “Dad, if God can help me play football after breaking my leg in five places, then God can help me move to Louisiana. Dad, you have to do what God wants you to do.”

Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Trey wasn’t sitting in my lap that time. But I did know exactly whose lap he had been sitting in—the heavenly Father’s lap! Trey spoke words of faith, words of confidence, and words of encouragement to his earthly father.

Lord, when my words are not encouraging, when my words are not those of faith and confidence, may I go to sit in Your lap and hear You speak Your words of encouragement and confidence into my heart so that I may speak them to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.