Spell It Out

This weekend the grands had a sleepover.

Luca is almost four, and right now he is on this kick of spelling words instead of just saying them.

“L. U. C. A. wants this or that.”

My wife asked him if he wanted to go with her to pick up his sister from school. He really hates sitting in the pickup line.

His response was a very firm:

“N. O.”

Somehow spelling it out carried considerably more weight than simply saying, “No thank you.”

There was no ambiguity. No room for interpretation. The negotiations were apparently over.

It made me think about how often we do the exact opposite.

We soften what needs to be clear. We add explanations nobody asked for. We circle around the truth because saying exactly what we mean feels a little too direct.

Sometimes wisdom is knowing when enough words have been said.

Jesus had a pretty simple standard: “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no.”

Luca would say Y. E. S to that and there is something so freeing about it.

Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Be kind, but be clear.

Not every answer needs a paragraph.

Sometimes you just need to spell it out.

N. O.

#FirstLight #Faith #Life #Clarity #Communication #Wisdom

First Light
www.firstlightblog.org

A daily reflection on faith, leadership, and life. One honest thought each morning to help you start grounded, focused, and full of grace before the world even wakes up.

By Nathan Clark