Popcorn, Party Mix, and Stuffing Your Foot in Your Mouth

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Don’t you hate it when something slips out of your mouth and you’d give $100 to stuff it back in? Several years ago some friends (I’ll call them Sam and Maggie) visited us over the weekend and went to church with us on Sunday morning. Maggie sat beside me.

Early in the service it occurred to me that Maggie would find it interesting that the service is televised on the local cable channel. I began looking for an appropriate time to whisper that to her. After several minutes, the minister told a funny story and Maggie laughed heartily. I love to hear her laugh. A short time later, I had my chance and told Maggie that the service was televised. She immediately said, “I won’t laugh so loudly.”

I was mortified. Maggie thought I was correcting her! First of all, it never occurred to me that she had laughed too loudly and even if I had thought she did, I would never have said so.

Of course, I spent a lot of time distracted, thinking about my untimely word and the taste of my foot in my mouth!

Ray has great ideas when he offers to fix supper. Recently, while I was working on a project for one of our grandchildren, he graciously offered to fix it. He came to me with a big smile and suggested a menu with five dishes: popcorn, kombucha, party mix, watermelon, and ice cream. Why not?

You can stuff a craft project full of polyester filling and you can stuff your mouth full of popcorn and party mix (like Ray and I did that night), but words . . . you just can’t stuff them back in your mouth!

Many a homeschool mama will say something to her children today that she would like to stuff back in her mouth. If it is you, apologize and know you are in good company. If only we could tame our tongues!

A man has joy in an apt answer,
And how delightful is a timely word!
Proverbs 15:23

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