{Still no baby action, in case you’re wondering! I had contractions in the middle of the night last night and was sure things were getting started…but I was wrong! I’ll keep you posted!}

Sometimes the wisdom that comes through in writing is really about what you haven’t said, just as much as it’s about what you have. For your sakes and for mine, I’ve been paying slightly more attention to what ought to be left out, with the help of that little word count thingy that I can click that will tell me how I’m doing and whether or not I’m talking your ears off. Or writing your eyes off. So to speak.

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But there is also the matter of the words, the entire posts, that don’t belong here, or anywhere. And the wisdom of knowing what is worth saying and what is not, well that’s something I’d like to sign up for an extra helping of. Even a fool seems wise when he doesn’t open his mouth.

If I was painting canvases instead of writing words on pages, you might wonder why I didn’t use red or green. And if I was writing music instead of blog posts and devotional pieces, you might ask where the bridge or the hook was, something to lead you safely into a chorus that will repeat the same refrain over again twice, so that by the end of my song you’ll know all the words to the chorus even though you’ve only heard it once.

The other day I wrote a post filled with the Top Ten things you shouldn’t say to a pregnant lady. (It didn’t get published.) It was more of a personal complaint session which probably would’ve stepped on toes, rather than build anybody up or encourage anyone to be more thoughtful with their words. And it wouldn’t have encouraged me to take the time to think about having more grace for the people around me — remembering we’re all on a journey in this thing called life — and none of us are there yet.

Though word count makes me think I need to think of more to say in order for this post to be complete, I think I’d like to end right here. Perhaps with a question.

Who or what do you think has the biggest influence on what you choose to say, and equally importantly, what you leave unsaid?

I sure would like to know.

xCC