On average, women speak 20,000 words a day. That’s 13,000 more daily words than our male counterparts! Yet how often does it feel like our words fall on deaf ears? Especially when we’re asking our kids to put on their shoes, or our husbands to put their laundry in the hamper (not that I’m speaking from personal experience).
We all want to feel heard.
One of the biggest fights I pick with my husband is when I feel like he’s not listening to me. (Disclaimer: I’m totally guilty of doing the same thing!)
One of the biggest fights I pick with my husband is when I feel like he’s not listening to me.
“But hun, I can watch Netflix, type up an email, and listen to every word you say.”
And the amazing thing is, he actually can. And yet—I don’t feel heard. Maybe that’s because I don’t just want my words to be absorbed, but to accomplish something.
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been feeling fearful. With lots of change in our lives, I’m letting doubt and fear creep into my thoughts. But I’ve had a song that I sing at the top of my lungs (when I’m home or driving in the car, but not in public—that’s just weird).
I’m no longer a slave to fear, for I am a child of God.
My three-year-old daughter looks at me like I’m crazy. But then she looks at me like I’m crazy a lot, so I just shrug and take it as a compliment.
But then, last week my little girl was struggling with fears of her own. One day as I stirred the crackling ground beef on the stove, down the hall, I heard a sweet little voice singing a tune I knew well. It went a little something like this: “I’m no longer a slave to fear, for I’m a child of God”
I realized that my words really do stick.
As moms, we are the encouragers of our homes. Our words shape and mold our children into the people God has destined them to become.
Our words embolden our husbands to make brave decisions, and to do the right thing.
As daughters and sisters, and friends, our words inspire each other to keep going, even when life feels too heavy, or our bodies feel too weak.
But at the end of the day, after we’ve pushed and scraped, and given all, we have to give and still feel like we’re coming up short, when we lay our heads on our pillows with our thoughts reeling and accusing and questioning our efforts, our worth, our words . . . grab hold of SIX words: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). One of the biggest fights I pick with my husband is when I feel like he’s not listening to me.
Because God has the last word.
And he looks at us and says, My child, in my grace . . . you are enough.
[schemaapprating]
Lindsay Hausch
Lindsay has been married to her hunky pastor husband for almost 8 years. They have two beautiful girls and a weiner dog. She’s a coffee drinking & cupcake loving wordsmith. She loves leading, speaking and inspiring others to love well. Visit her corner of the world at her blog, or other social platforms. Find Lindsay on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and on her Blog.
