Hey, Carpool Crew! It's day ten of Proverbs for Your School Life, double digits! And today we're talking about that split second after somebody says the thing... about your drawing, your shoes, your kickball miss... when the comeback is loaded and ready to launch. I'm Pastor Justin, and before we jump in, let me give a big shout-out to Kellin, Kenan, and Koen out in Lexington, Tennessee. Kellin, Kenan, and Koen, soccer, baseball, and kindergarten between the three of you. Glad you're in the carpool. And this episode is all about the words that pop out fast. We've all launched one. Let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: count to three before you snap back. Listen to this from Proverbs 29:20. "Do you see someone who speaks too soon? There is more hope for a fool than for him." That might be the spiciest sentence in the whole book of Proverbs. Solomon says fast words usually do more damage than no words at all. The fast comeback has one big problem. You can't un-say it. A text you can delete before you hit send. Words out of your mouth are out for good. And the first thing that pops out is almost never the best thing you've got. Jesus said the words that come out of your mouth start down in your heart. So those three seconds aren't really about your mouth. They give your heart a second to catch up. If Jesus were walking down the hallway next to you, He would say, "I saw your face when he said it. Breathe with Me. One. Two. Three. Now you pick what happens next, instead of the comeback picking for you." It's Thursday after art class, and a kid looks at your drawing and says, what is that even supposed to be? Your ears go hot, and the comeback about his handwriting is right there, loaded. You count in your head. One. Two. Three. And in those three seconds, the whole thing shrinks. You shrug and say, "It's a hawk. Still working on it." Maybe he looks closer. Maybe he just walks off. Either way nothing got worse, and you walked away still you. So today, here's the one thing you could try. When you feel a snap-back loading, count to three in your head before anything leaves your mouth. If you still need words after three, borrow this one: "Let me think about that." And grown-ups need this one too. I have typed out a comeback and deleted it. Twice. The deleting was the strong part. Three seconds doesn't make you slow. It makes you the kid whose words people can trust. Hey, let's go back to that one thing I wanted you to remember for the ride. Count to three before you snap back. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, two nights left on the free week of Goodnight Psalms. Tonight is Psalm 16:10, God will never leave you, not even in the dark. If you haven't tried it yet, tonight is the night. It's free for everybody through Friday. Hey, before you go, let's answer this question together. What's one moment tomorrow where counting to three could save your day? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.
