Last week, we traveled down to Mexico with some of our friends.  After a long day of traveling, we finally made it to our resort.  We were starving and headed to the first restaurant on the property that we could find.  The place that we chose was next to the pool and wide open.  The only walls were around the kitchen and bar areas.  The rest was completely exposed.

As we sat to have our lunch, a stray cat wandered through the dining area.  My daughter is obsessed with animals and immediately ran to pet it.  I said “Sweetheart, the cat doesn’t want to be disturbed. Let’s leave it alone. ” Actually, I screamed at her (even though that was a louder volume than necessary) “DON’T TOUCH THAT CAT!”  The cat continued to mind its business and roam through the restaurant looking for food.

A few days later, when we were eating at another open air restaurant on the property, the same cat wandered through.  And then it happened a third time.  In our neighborhood, we have plenty of bobcats that roam the streets at night, and I started to wonder what kind of cat this was.  It had pointy ears and a few stripes on its legs and back.  Was this some wild cat that had just decided to take up residence at this resort? Should I be worried?

Thankfully, Google lens answered this question for me.  The cat was a domestic cat, and when the species name came up, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. It is called an Egyptian Mau.  Context clues would tell me that this cat originated in Egypt.  But the Mau part? I assumed they named it that because of the sound it made? Mau? Mow? Maybe that’s the Egyptian spelling for meow? (I know that’s dumb- but now you understand why I was laughing to myself) I didn’t hear it mau (or meow) but it did get me thinking.

What if we were named by the sounds that we made? Let me be a little clearer- what if we were named/ called out in public for the words that came out of our mouths?

Would your name change? I mean, I can tell you that my scientific name would immediate change to Shiney Sarcasticus or Shiney Complain-o-sapien.  No doubt. If you had to name me by my ‘mau’, it would likely not be a positive name.

Ephesians 4:29 tells us (me) very clearly: “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.” (Message translation)

I’m not worried about the foul or dirty talk, but if I’m only supposed to say what helps, things are about to get REAL quiet around here.

Verse 30 continues “Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted”

Ouch.  I have been praying very specifically for the power of the Holy Spirit to do its work in me and through me.  If my words could possibly be limiting this expression of power, I better get it together.  My words should be the external expression of what is happening internally.

The cat challenged me to think about my words and what I say. Me-ow.

~Shiney