Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
It’s at the heart of most kitchen table conversations. Not dining room table conversations. Kitchen table conversations. The ones you have with your spouse late at night while you talk back over the story your baby girl told about that kid in her class. “Her parents are too loose with her!” The ones you have with your best friend when she stops by to have a cup of coffee while the kids play. “Have you heard about so and so?” It’s in the break room at work where you gasp to your coworker about the new guy. It’s at the lunch table where you roll your eyes at the latest story going around.
And unfortunately, if it’s in all those places, it’s in our hearts too. Gossip, hurtful words, snarky comments, judgements.
Years ago, at my first youth camp as a grown up, I got to know a twelve year old girl from our church who vowed that summer to not gossip. I remember standing openmouthed in front of her as she explained to me that she just didn’t want to hurt anyone and that’s all gossip seemed to do. I knew then that God had big plans for that girl. She leaves on her first overseas mission trip this month.
When I was her age, gossip and snark were the ticket to the cool kids. If you were one of the whisperers, you were in. Most of the time I was not one of the whisperers, but if ever given the opportunity to be, I jumped at the chance. I honed my sarcasm and wit so that I would be ready with a quick quip if the occasion ever arose. And when it did, I was ready. I might not have any dirt on anyone, but I became pretty good at hurling hurtful comments. I could throw out a zinger that would have surely made my granny blush. Of course I followed it with a good natured laugh and a quick, “you know I’m kidding, right?” But later the guilt would sit unsettled in my stomach. Long before I’d ever heard this scripture, I knew the words of my mouth were not pleasing in the sight of the Lord. That’s called conviction, folks.
In my early days of teaching I was blessed to be given a mentor who has become one of my dearest friends. We settled on this very Psalm to memorize together and it has since become a life verse for both of us as we spend our days with children of all ages, some our own, many other people's.
One Sunday afternoon in the fall of 2014, when our house had just been framed, my husband and I grabbed our Bibles, our three young kiddos, and a handful of markers and began writing God’s promises on the bare bones of our home. I scribbled this verse on the subfloor of my kitchen just in front of where my sink would soon sit. I knew a lot of my time would be spent there and I wanted to be standing on this prayer of David. I knew I would need the reminder.
While it’s definitely not something I’ve mastered, I’m thankful for God’s grace in the process. Hiding this psalm in my heart, has and continues to change me. I whisper it to myself when I feel myself starting to lose it with my children. I say it aloud in my car when I’m on the way to meet a friend. I pray it daily as I long for it to be true. And it’s on repeat as I type out the very words you read.
May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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