Butterfly Kisses

The fog of dreams drifted in and out like waves softly caressing the banks of a flowing river. Subconscious and conscious thoughts mixed and mingled. I shifted quietly in bed, determined to acquire a few extra moments of slumber. Realizing this was not feasible, I stretched out my right arm toward the nightstand and fumbled for my phone and my glasses. I saw a new message was waiting for me in Messenger. I opened it; a kind and tenderhearted thank you.

The previous night, I had given honor and respect to a mutual elderly colleague of ours. My friend was telling me that he had noticed that interaction. Along with his gratitude, these penetrating words struck me in the deepest way, right down to my very core. “Wholesome talk…Wholesome talk.” There it was twice.

Those words, in that text, contained something more profound then the sender had intended. It seemed to me, God Himself had a message He had attached to the very structure of those words, “wholesome talk.” What God had attached was the gentlest of rebukes and corrections.

It felt like butterflies were kissing my cheek, or a single raindrop had touched my hand. My spirit was interpreting all this very clearly. So gentle, so sweet, so full of love and tenderness. Surreal. But it was still intended to bring a shift in my behavior.

The truth of the matter was I had been using some rough language when I talked about my divorce these past few years. The habit of cursing for me was a relatively new habit. Each time I went on a verbal tirade, I checked my spirit to identify if Father was unhappy about such vocabulary. To my great surprise, He seemed to give me a free pass. When the very person who promised to honor and be true to you was not honorable and was not true…well, only certain words seemed to describe that gut wrenching injustice.

God was calling time out. He asked me, “Haven’t I done a great job of healing you from all that?”

“Yes, Father. You have done an amazing job of healing and restoring my life these past few years. You have!”

“Then it is time to put those words away.”

I thought about all the perverse speech that had actually made its way from my heart, to my mind, past my lips and out of my mouth. I repented of my profanity. I did. I asked God to forgive me. He did. He always does when our hearts genuinely desire change.

I am so grateful for God’s correction. I actively seek it. He answers this request with undeniable regularity.

I often pray that God’s holy, purifying fire would hit His church. His desire is for us to be holy as He is holy. Do not despair in His corrections. They are needed and necessary! Ask Him. Ask Him to put His spotlight on our dingy souls. Remember, He disciplines those He loves.

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.