chatty cathy

did you have a chatty cathy doll (mattel, 1959) when you were little? i'm giving away my age here. i did. i LOVED her. you'd pull the string on her back. i don't remember what she'd say (there were 11 phrases accdg to wikipedia) and she was really "neat."

i'm just like her except you don't even have to pull my string, i just talk away. the family i grew up in thinks it's hilarious in a wierd sort of way that i get PAID to listen to people talk.  they just can't imagine i'd shut up a minute and listen to anyone as much as i talk.

there are so many scriptures about the significance of listening. God knows how difficult it is for us. being slow to speak, quick to listen. where words abound, transgressions are unavoidable and such. i have to really pray about my tongue and shush myself at times. sometimes i just talk too much and say too much and at the wrong times.

and if you think about it....how great a listener is God to us? does He butt in? does He interrupt? does He overassert? is His focus all about Him? WOW. He has a still small voice. no chatty cathy there. i'm humbled right now as i write...

(now, it's not that He doesn't like words, He gave us the 66 books of the bible.)

maybe it's the jewish side of me (not trying to stereotype, this is true of me) because i can also be very assertive and that can be an asset or liability. from "my steak isn't cooked the way i'd like it" to "could i have 20% off this please?"  yesterday i was very assertive but in an aggressive sort of way when it came to getting my favorite daughter in to see the doctor today please and last nite i wrote a letter of apology, making a quick amends for how i handled myself. 

oy vay! it's hard to be a chatty cathy!  but God made me and He who began a good work in me will complete it in the day of Christ Jesus. He'll take the good in me and use it and take away the bad in me - from the same type of trait. isn't that great? praise Him from whom all blessings flow and for His mercies that are new every day.