Shut up.

“Oooooooooo” That’s what Rachel always says if you say any words that she deems as inappropriate. You know the ones. Dummy. Stupid. All those. The context in which you are saying them is totally irrelevant. Oh that girl cracks me up. You know she is very me- big ear rings, always wanting to fix up, always snapping her finger and shaking her head. In fact her nick name is GGJr (I’m GGSr.). She went down front to confess her salvation on Sunday. It was so exciting. She had decided before church, and she told me before church and I mean she was ready. You could just tell. I went forward to hug her after church, and just giggled ‘cause she just makes me laugh. She looks at me and throws her arms in the air “What is funny about this!?!” That is so Rachel.

You know I’ve tried to shut up lately. Thinking if I did that it would bring some type of comfort to me. It didn’t. It hasn’t. I don’t know if I thought I would just sit back and allow God to take over, or if I thought maybe I’d calm down spiritually, but none of that has happened. In fact I’ve become very stagnant. I really believe that God sometimes allows us to be in those times that we want to escape, but can’t, and that in order to fully mature we must go through them. I discussed this with my class on Sunday. You know if I had a “Get out of a Tough Life FREE” card to play right now-I would, and God knows. But that would prevent me from whatever it is that He obviously trying to do in my life to develop and mature me. But what I’ve truly discovered it that shutting-up isn’t for me, or isn’t for me anymore.

Either way-GGSR-is ‘bout to SHOUT!!

Psalm 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

¹ I said, “I will watch my ways
and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”

² But when I was silent and still,
not even saying anything good,
my anguish increased.

³ My heart grew hot within me,
and as I meditated, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴ “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man’s life is but a breath.
Selah

⁶ Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

⁷ “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

⁸ Save me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the scorn of fools.

⁹ I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
for you are the one who has done this.

¹⁰ Remove your scourge from me;
I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

¹¹ You rebuke and discipline men for their sin;
you consume their wealth like a moth—
each man is but a breath.
Selah

¹² “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.

¹³ Look away from me, that I may rejoice again
before I depart and am no more.”