Speak up! We are listening!
“Use your words!” - a most commonly heard admonition from parent to child in our home. When there is pushing and pulling, stealing legos, grunting, and pouting we are constantly saying “you’re having a big emotion. Use your words and tell me about it.”
Turns out the adults need practice with this as well. When there is stress or miscommunication we could often take our own advice and “use our words”. But its a pretty scary feeling to admit your needs, ask for help, or identify a hard emotion. Vulnerability is risky business. What if we find the courage to name a need and our request is denied? Some of us have actually come to believe that we have been deemed acceptable, like-abe, or okay because we have learned how to perfectly curate what we say. Some of us have been taught that a woman should never be needy or high-maintenance or loud or desiring.
What a profound realization it is, then, to internalize the radical idea of unconditional love. That the God who knows our most inward thoughts doesn’t just put up with us, but cherishes and delights in us. Even when we become so bold as to claim our voice, use our words, and name our truth, and we feel like a hassle to everyone else, God is cheering us on "Go girl!" The unwavering, unfailing loving God is never bothered, never inconvenienced by whatever you might need to cry out for. Use your words. God wants to hear them.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!