Salt or Vinegar?

Our lovely boy has definitely hit toddler hood! He's gone from being my wee baby to being this little guy who has his own personality and knows exactly what he wants. New challenges. New fun! I love it. It amazes me how much he is learning to understand the world around him. His speech has really come on since we arrived in Scotland and he tries to copy most words. We were doing grocery shopping the other day and I wasn't aware I was talking out loud. Browsing through the cereal isle Josiahs voice came from the grocery cart "oh that's cheap!" I must have spoken it and he was copying! It really made me giggle.
Then I got to thinking just how his mind is like a sponge and his tongue ready to imitate. I'm now so aware that he is watching and listening to me all the time. He is learning from me and the people around him. He is learning words, tone and expression. I suddenly felt very transparent before him and before God.

Imagine that I am responsible for being an example to this precious little man. Our children are watching us and learning- both good and bad. What an awesome responsibility to show an example worthy of the saviour we claim to live for eh?!

I thought about how that morning I was feeling so exhausted. I'm feeling really well with only a few days to go to the birth of our next baby, but just tired. I thought of what Josiah may have heard and seen? Did I use a tone of impatience to anyone? Have I been rolling my eyes? Could I have chosen my words more wisely in a situation?

That evening I was praying about the use of our speech and how we each have a choice to use our words, tone, expression to build up our homes or create a negative atmosphere. This verse really challenged me;

"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." Collosians 4:16

I was thinking how sometimes our ways of communication can be more like vinegar than salt! A moan over something not worth moaning about- an impatient sigh at being kept waiting- an under the breath mutter in response to something that makes us mad. I read somewhere that salt refers to value as apparently the Romans used to give their soldiers an allowance of salt. Do the words we speak always carry value? Salt adds flavour. Do our words?

I'm thankful for the reminders from the Holy Spirit that convict and remind that we have a choice to use our words to bless or to curse- to build up or pull down.What a challenging verse though eh? Let our speech always be with grace!! Do I always speak to people the way I would want Josiah to speak to me? I know I still have a long way to go! How about you?