Southern Drawls

When I was in 4th grade we moved from Albuquerque to Arkansas. We didn’t live there very long but it was at a time in my life where my world was upside down. Somehow, though I’m not sure anything academic stuck, the southern drawl surely did. When we moved from there to California I stuck out like a sore thumb. I can remember being sent out of class more than once because my classmates would get so tickled listening to me talk that the teacher couldn’t keep them focused on the lesson at hand. Today, if I’m really tired, you’ll still hear a bit of the southern girl in me.

A couple weeks ago our Pastor was talking about Joseph and Mary and speculating on Joseph’s struggle with what was the right thing to do with Mary…. I mean really – would YOU believe it if you heard she was pregnant and still a virgin??? So he’s telling us how there are two ways to discover what is the right thing to do – and both come from God’s Word.

The first is when He specifically gives us direction about what is right – like when He speaks directly using scripture such as “don’t kill.” When the dingbat in the red BMW totally cut me off in traffic while talking on her cell phone, nearly causing me to run completely off the road, spilling my Chai Tea in my lap and endangering the life of my child - I knew the right thing to do would be to just let it go - as much as I wanted to cut her off and hope she slammed her cute little car into the next telephone pole. (OK honestly – I wouldn’t REALLY do that but haven’t we all had at least a fleeting thought like that??? No?? Well then I’m a greater sinner. Big surprise.) Or like when you are struggling with a situation and you read a story in the Bible where someone else is dealing with something very similar and after reading it you just know what you should do. Both of these are examples of when He speaks to us directly from His Word.

The other way is more subtle… it’s more like a Southern drawl. When we immerse our minds in the Word of God it’s amazing how the spirit of God begins to transform us. We begin to see things in a different way… and pick up some of His likeness and His ways… and His direction becomes easier to see…. and our words begin to sound more like His. It’s like that southern drawl that rubs off on us, and when we hear others speak with that drawl, we know their home is the same as ours…. And if it’s Arkansas we may be cousins!!

I can tell I’ve been away from my family in Arkansas for a while because I don’t sound so much like them anymore. I spent MANY years hearing my mother remind me to ENUNCIATE my words and worked hard to drop the drawl that betrayed me as “a hick from the sticks!” And I’ve done pretty well at it… until I get around them again and then oh boy – there’s that southern drawl that comes so quickly and so naturally.

It’s like that when I’m not spending time with my Father too. I lose my drawl, and it’s more difficult to know His voice – until I once again immerse myself in His Word and just like I’m back home, my words begin to reflect what’s in my heart and when my heart is full of Him, it shows. I can hear it.

Others can too.

I’m thinking I’ll stop enunciating my words so much and maybe not work so hard to hide my southern roots. They are a great reminder to me that I should sound different.