Little Mouths, Little Ears

Are you familiar with the song, "O be careful little mouths what you say.  O be careful little mouths what you say.  For the Father up above, is looking down in love...so be careful little mouths what you say"?  There are verses for your eyes being careful, your ears being careful, and so on and so forth.

Well this song has been somewhat on repeat in my heart and mind over the past few months.  Ryleigh repeats everything - and seems to memorize phrases, movements, & songs at quite an impressive speed (in my opinion).  Honestly, it's adorable to me.  Hearing her sing songs she's only heard a few times, listening to her teach her stuffed animals her Bible verses that she knows, picking up on the phrases Steve & I use while praying, and then saying things like "Just two more minutes mommy" - they each have brought a smile to my face and my heart.

However, this past week, she started saying "Oh my GOSH!"  And, let me tell you friends, I was NOT happy about it.  There was not even the faintest smile on my face.  It was more like a slap in the face.  Don't get me wrong, I'm aware there are much more vulgar things she could be saying or repeating if they were said or heard in our house...BUT I can't begin to describe how awful it sounded coming from her sweet lips that were just singing "Oh How I Love Jesus".

It took me by surprise, I wanted to immediately get on to her for saying something like that...but I quickly realized she'd only know that phrase if she had heard it...probably more than once - which makes me the guilty party.  I don't guess I even realized I said it often enough for her to pick up on it.  I also wouldn't have classified it as a "vulgar" thing that I say...but it pretty much broke my heart to know that I had taught her that phrase.  It also made me wonder if it sounds as badly to the Lord when I say it as it did to me when she said it.  Do my lips sing one thing and then turn around and say another?  Is that heartbreaking to Him??

I can remember my mom telling my sisters and me that we should be careful of "Oh My ____" anything statements.  That often people automatically go to the ever so popular "OMG" type wording in their heads even if we may not have ever actually said the name of the Lord in vain.  That we were using substitutes and that perhaps it was just as wrong.  I never thought my mom was wrong for thinking that, I just didn't hear it that same way.  At least, not until I heard Ryleigh say it.  I've cried folks (which I know may not come as a surprise to some of you).  I mean, shed tears over my choice of words for the past 10-15 years and especially now as a momma trying to raise this sweet girl up to honor the Lord.

It's clearly become a habit for me, but it doesn't make it right.  I know some of you that are reading this don't agree with me - and that's okay - there's no judgement from me I promise.  It's just what I've been convicted of this week and I'm going to be doing all I can to consciously change not just what comes out of my mouth but letting Him captivate every thought and every phrase that enters into my mind.

For the Father is looking down in love but there's also a little girl who is looking up in love - so I need my head, eyes, mouth, ears, hands, and feet being ever so careful as to not create a stumbling block in my own walk with the Father or in hers.