Miscopulars

My sweet 6 year old is at it again, giving me more food for thought...

I have to back up a bit.  I am so glad that someone gave me the idea long ago to stock our home with field guides.  The boys have enjoyed looking up leaves, birds, flowers, and more upon returning from a family walk.  So it was only natural that when they were playing outside the other day, they found a bird in a nearby tree that they had to identify.  They came inside and grabbed binoculars and bird books and paper and pencils.  Sidenote: It blesses a mom's heart to see them loving to learn on their own, and marveling at God's creation!

So the next morning they rushed out again to see if the bird was near.  They couldn't see it anywhere.  My 6 year old announced that he even looked with the miscopulars!  I couldn't help but let a laugh escape.  I grabbed the dry erase marker (it was closest to me) and wrote it on the board.  I asked if he meant binoculars.  He laughed and said, 'yeah, that, whatever.'  He has the best dimples that show up when he giggles. 

But that word, and the dimples, kept going through my mind.  I know him well enough to know what he meant when he said miscopulars.  But I did check with him to be sure.  Did he really mean binoculars?  It was good to be clear.  I think that as we go about our relationships with each other, we need to be respectful enough to check what someone means.  To many quarrels begin from a simple misunderstanding. 

On the flipside, the communicator needs to also be clear.  And sometimes we aren't as clear as we'd like.  Isn't it nice to have people in your life who are willing to ask for clarity?

Even more than that, do we understand God?  Do we take Him at His word?  His speech is very clear.  But the only way we'll know Him well enough to know what He is saying is to get into His Word, daily.  He has so much for us, but we won't know what He means if we don't know Him.  Our direction will easily go off course, we'll be swayed easier.  That narrow way is difficult to discern at times.  The world seems to be communicating so much louder and clearer that we can't seem to hear the Lord's still, small voice.  But when I feel that way, I know it's because I haven't been battling on my knees and in the Word.  Let's all gain clarity, first, from Scripture.  Then, I have a feeling, all our communications will be smoother.

"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." Colossians 4:6 NASB version...