Your inside voice by Jessica Thompson

Dear Friend, “Shhh, use your inside voice!” This was an all too familiar statement that I heard as a child. I was born with the gift of gab! Therefore, innately was loud whenever I opened my mouth. It was almost impossible for me to whisper. Overtime I have learned how to be disciplined in using my voice. Now as an educator I still speak boldly and at a fairly moderate level. Whispering or speaking at a low level can be a task. In my early years of parenting and teaching, (because they overlapped each other) I struggled with keep my voice level down. I can vividly remember myself as the 20 something year old novice kindergarten teacher, with a 5, 4, and infant twins. My life was like a chapter out of a daycare manual. I didn’t use my voice well. I equated that my voice level determined the level of my “seriousness...” I would try and control the situations around my life by hollering. Annnnnnnd...I discovered two things. 1)You can’t talk if you’ve lost your voice. 2) It doesn’t work! Things that I have found true is that any word spoken with confidence and conviction will make impact on the hearer. Also, delivery is important but it goes hand in hand with what you believe.

I tried to talk my students and simple spoke in a small quiet voice. In my head I thought that they couldn’t hear me but everyone followed through with what I spoke. God is the same way he will speak to us in a “still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12-13) But must take the time to be attentive and not focused on anything else but what he has to say. His words are full of power and faith! He can get anything He needs done with just a whisper! Today let your wars be open and sensitive to hear the whisper today! Carefully listening, Jess