Rehearsing What to Say

I often find myself longing for a landline in the home. You know, the phone that every house had either on the wall or on a small table in the living room or den.   I know that sounds very antiquated, but life just seemed so much simpler with the landline phone.
 
I will concede that there were some challenging times with a landline.  There were at least two occasions during my growing up years that we had a phone that was on a partying line.  Now before too many get the wrong idea, let me explain.  Instead of each having their own individual lines, multiple families shared the same line.  You would hear the phone ring, however you only answered the phone if it was your particular ring, like 3 rings, pause, 3 rings pause.  If it has any other ring, you didn’t answer it.  Of course there was the challenge of trying to make a call.  Often times, depending upon how many families were on the partying line and if there was a person who loved to talk on the phone, you might pick up the phone and hear people talking.  Of course, if it was an emergency, you would inform them quickly and urgently to get off of the phone so you could make the call.
 
How many of you answer on the first ring? Or answer at least on the second or third ring, right?  Many of us actually screen our calls, if we don’t know the number or know the number but don’t want to talk to the person for whatever reason, we don’t answer.  In a sense, we have all become very accustomed to selectively answering calls and may even become “dull” or “desensitized” to our phone often ignoring any incoming calls, but to the frustration of the person trying to get a hold of us.
 
In my daily life, during interactions I have with others, I often find myself not knowing what to say or how to respond, so answering a call might be related to a lack of “what do I say to them.” Do you ever get into a conversation that you feel helpless or are void of knowing the correct way to respond? One might look for a way to “disconnect” or a reason to discontinue the conversation with the other person, as a way of escape.
 
I think it’s common for many people to overthink what they will say to someone, even rehearsing the words, tones, facial reactions etc. I just watched an old movie on TCM called “The Old Maid.” Not to give any spoilers, but in one scene, Betty Davis rehearses several versions of what she would like to say to another person in the movie.  She changed words, tone, facial reactions, practicing which one she liked the best. What she actually did was really none of which she had rehearsed.   We have a lot of anxiety over those “big” conversations that face us.  
 
I am not saying “don’t” rehearse or think on the conversation, but I am endorsing the notion to pray and ask God to fill your mouth with the right words.  Moses, in the Old Testament felt like many of us have felt.  He was faced with a God sized task and felt paralyzed with what he deemed was his inability to do what God was telling him to do.
 
Exodus 4:10-12
But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
 
Actually, there are numerous scriptures to encourage us in communicating with someone.  Prayer is my “go to” in helping me talk with others.  It’s like the paper cups we put in the muffin tins before we pour in the batter.  Prayer keeps everything in place and it comes out easy and clean.
 
So next time when you are faced with that phone call that keeps coming and you have been ignoring it because you don’t want to have that conversation, go to praying.
 
And to add some confidence, Colossians 4:6 encourages us to “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
 
Blessings to all,
 
Karen