the importance of handling books with care…
the location of our mouths… 
where glitter decorates best…
that the food would taste better once the wrapper is removed…
the places stickers adhere to…
how to use crayons.You know how little children always do the unexpected. Well, Josue’s 3-year-old niece Helen is no different than any others. She never ceases to entertain the family, and unlike some children she isn’t shy about entertaining a large group when it is necessary. This video was taken this past Friday at an all-night vigil at the church. At this point in the night, there were about 40 children and at least 60 adults present.
We were all waiting for a improv drama to take place when one of the hosts asked all the children to come up front and sing for the crowd. Helen was one of the first kids up to the front of the church and sang in a couple of songs with the group. Then she ran back to her mother in the crowd. The host was asking the kids what they want to sing, and none of them would answer. The mother joked with Helen about singing “The Gossiping Neighbor”, and before she had time to laugh, Helen was out of her arms and dashing to the front. As soon as Helen got up to the front, she announced that she had a song, so she was given the spotlight.
If you are wondering why the host and crowd can’t help but laughing so that you can’t even hear Helen, let me explain. The song she sang is a kid’s church song that isn’t common. It is a conversation between a preacher and one of the flock who is having a problem with a neighbor. The preacher explains what God would want her to do in the situation, but the only part of the song that Helen knows (which is what she sang for the crowd) is the church member confiding in her preacher, which goes like this:
I have a neighbor that I want to punch.
I might just grab her by her hair,
Walk the streets of the town
And use her to sweep them.
I was more than embarrassed and ready to explain that the song was actually a Sunday school song teaching against violence. But this is just one example of how what we say doesn’t always come out the way we intended.
Our speech can make such a difference in the lives of others. It can be used for the negative or for the positive. We always have a choice in what we say and how we say it. Remember to choose your words carefully (and, of course, don’t use your neighbor to sweep the streets).
:)
