Does your kid talk too much? Does his/her mouth run all the time? Then I can feel your pain. My daughter who is in college now was a pretty quiet kid growing up. My 11-year-old son on the other hand just…won’t…stop…talking. Sometimes it’s interesting and compelling to listen to. But much of the time it’s a nonstop stream of consciousness rant about everything and anything that makes me want to beat my head against a wall. I can still remember the anticipation of waiting for that little boy to learn to talk. Now I just want it to stop; after all, there is only so much I want to know about Among Us and Minecraft, right????

I’ve been thinking about my boy’s motormouth in the context of our theme for this school year “No Fear” based on Isaiah 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” There is one topic on which I hope and pray my son will always fearlessly and constantly speak about – the saving Gospel message of Jesus Christ that is the foundation of his life. Acts 18:9 says, “And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent”. Paul had no fear about sharing the truth about Jesus; whether it was in the streets, the public square, prison, or the four corners of the known world he boldly proclaimed the saving message about Christ. There was nothing that could stop or dissuade him because of his love for his Savior. I pray that my son will always use his “gift of gab” to speak up and be a powerful witness to the amazing grace, mercy, and love God has for everyone he meets. Just give me a few minutes of peace when I get home though, OK?