Wisdom

"True wisdom knows when to speak and when to stay silent."

These words were spoken in my bible study class the other day, and I can't help but be amazed at how true those simple words are.

It's a great piece of advice, and one that I often to overlook. But the truth is, I have a tendency to want to fix things for people; to make things right. Maybe it's because I'm a mother, and a nurturer by nature, but I also think that the bigger part of it is because I have this sickness that I like refer to as middle child syndrome.

I can't help it. I have this innate drive to make sure that all the people around me are happy, comfortable and most importantly, getting along. There is no situation more uncomfortable or stressful for a sufferer of middle child syndrome than to be around a group of people who do not get along, and don't care to try.

My illness goes farther than that though. You see, I have two children that have a tendency to argue. I know, this is common, siblings fight - I get it - but for someone like me, who thrives on peace and harmony, it really cramps my style. So in an effort to keep my style, and mood, cramp free, I prefer to stop a fight long before it starts.

Now to get to the wisdom part of my post...

Did I ever tell you about Adam...my husband?

He's a very mellow man. So mellow, in fact, that I like to push his buttons - you know, throw in a little bit of attitude - every once in a while, just to make sure he's still alive. I love that about him...he's very consistent. But on top of that, he's wise. He knows when to speak and when to stay quiet, when to be stern and when to let things go. He fully understands that some lessons are best learned when you keep your mouth shut.

This is one of those lessons:

Two nights ago, Isaiah and Caleb were taking a bath. They were laughing and splashing and having a great time, and then suddenly it got very quiet and Adam heard Caleb say, "hey Isaiah, close your eyes. I promise that it's just water on your head." When Adam looked in on what was happening, he saw Caleb standing over Isaiah in a very suspicious pose, as though he was getting ready to pee.

Naturally, Adam chose to keep his mouth shut, opting instead, to let the situation play its course. And it played it's course all right. Not only was it a good lesson for Isaiah, but I also like to consider it a great wisdom builder as well.

So I will say it again:
True wisdom knows when to speak, and when to stay silent.