“Mom!” Her eyes widened in dismay. “Why did you save this? And why is it in here?”
My face grew hot with shame. What could I say? That I’d told thousands of people about her bad day at school and her funny way of handling it? Even though I always ended the story on a sweet note, with her snuggled in my arms, nothing could erase the sad truth that I’d broadcast her words without asking if I could.
I apologized profusely. Begged her forgiveness. Asked her permission to share what I’d learned. And discovered a valuable (and humbling) lesson: Loose lips sink relationships. Trust is the buoy that keeps them afloat.
Heavenly Father, help me see “sharing” for what it truly is: thoughtless, careless, pointless gossip. Forgive me. Guide me. Lock my lips, and set me free. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 21:23, “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” (NIV)
Proverbs 16:28, “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” (NIV)
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