M@*$&#%@%…

Wiwohka
Daily writing prompt
What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?
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I was born angry, raised on the streets, and have plenty of scars to prove it. But, the most tell-tale sign of my origins… is my mouth!

It didn’t help that I spent a good five years riding in a Semi truck with my husband, soakin up the lingo from other truckers, while we sat waiting to load or unload.

They employed such colorful ways to express one’s immediate feelings, re-tell another truckers incredibly embellished stories, or build up their own tales of fiction. It was like taking a crash course at the Potty Mouth Institute!

I got so good at makin a man blush that it went to my head, and since there weren’t any kids around, I just started letting my own brand of foul words fly free. I didn’t really think I had a problem, but my own husband started giving me raised eyebrow looks. He actually started cutting back on his own bad language because of me, I think.

Then, about two years ago I just got sick of listening to my own vile utterances, so I decided to stop.

Honestly, I can say that it was one of, if not the most difficult goals I’ve ever set for myself. It ranks right up there with quitting a 40 year old smoking habit, though God carried me through that one. For this reason, I can’t technically say that the smoking was the most difficult goal.

Looking back now, I see a number of things that lost their charm, once God began reshaping and remolding my life to match His purposes. The more time spent in scripture, in prayer, and in fellowship with my heavenly Father, the less I struggled with my language. Over time, foul words began to bother me more. As I listened to other people use profanity, whether on television, in public, or on the gaming chat channels, I was convicted by my own discomfort at listening to others…. I sounded just the same when I swore!

I realize that words are just words, but for myself, I feel that it grieves my Holy Spirit. And, not just that… it could cause offense to another person! That was the part that sealed the deal, for me. There would be no more fence-walking on this one… foul words found the door, and I made sure to let the door hit them as they went out.

How bout them cookies…

Ok, so maybe the cookies are a bit large, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t taste good… well, maybe don’t eat the ones that landed on the road, as they’ve become soggy and gross.

18 thoughts on “M@*$&#%@%…”

  3. Isn’t it amazing how God’s Word and His love shapes us as we grow nearer to Him? I used to love watching true crime shows. I was fascinated by solving the mystery, but eventually I got desensitized to all the blood and murder. I knew I had watched too much when I started to think that I could leave a better crime scene than these sloppy criminals and leave no evidence. 😯 That’s when the Holy Spirit said, “No more. This is not for you.” Then, I stopped watching. Now, it bothers me to watch anything violent in movies or on TV. I’m back to watching Little House on the Prairie! 😊

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  5. I have more than a bit of a “potty mouth” from time to time. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that in the immortal words of the Gambler, “you gotta know when to hold, know when to fold ’em, and know when to walk away and know when to run ( off at the mouth that is..”

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