“O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

Exodus 4:10

Ever have this scenario?

Sara: Hello, welcome to Longhorn. I’m Sara and I’ll be your waitress.
Me: DOING GOOD, HOW ABOUT YOU?

Awkward. How about this one?

Me: WHAT’S SHAKIN’ TANYA? HAVING A GRROOOVY DAY?
Sara: My name is Sara, and my mom’s in the hospital.

Yep, that, too, was awkward.

I’ve put my foot in my mouth so many times that my tongue has athlete’s foot. I actually pride myself on cracking a good joke or preaching an inspirational sermon, but I still can’t avoid that occasional stumble: Inappropriate humor, inattentive listening, or missing some incredibly obvious social cues, I’ve done it all.

It’s enough to make me want to put a clamp on my mouth. Actually, I already do. When I serve communion, I never call a person by name, in case I can’t remember it. I’ve become a sport’s fan (of sorts) just so I’ll have something to small talk about. Sometimes I’ll even rehearse one of my “off-the-cuff” jokes, so it looks improvised. Still, all the preparation in the world can’t seem to prevent me from saying or doing something that leaves me slapping my head.

Any other awkward people out there? Maybe you don’t know how to end a conversation, or you shrink at even the slightest bit of attention. Maybe your laugh is a little too exuberant. My guess is most of us second guess our interactions with others. After all, it’s not like we’re some prophetic speaker, like Moses…

You get the joke there, right? Moses tried to weasel out of his burning bush moment. God gave him a mission and Moses tried to say ‘no’ five different times. One of his more fervent objections was being “slow of speech” and “slow of tongue”. He was a socially awkward fella! Luckily (or unluckily) for him, his brother Aaron had the gift of gab, so they became a prophetic package deal.

We might not have the luxury of some silvery-tongued companion ready to mop up any social mishaps we make. For some of us, this isn’t a joking matter–it can be a symptom of some serious anxiety. I don’t think I’m all the way in that category, but I’ll admit I’ve lain awake some nights, mentally kicking myself for my awkwardness. I know God wants me to speak, but my tongue can get so tied up.

When I’m at my best, I try to follow four guidelines when it comes to social interactions:

• Listen with your ears
• Speak from your heart
• Run it through your head
• Then, open your mouth.

Most of the time, that process happens in an instant. When I skip a step, or mix up the order, I’m more likely to miss the mark. Even when I do all of the above, I can’t be certain that I won’t embarrass myself. If there’s a fifth step for me, it’s to give myself a break when I’m a little off target. Afterall, eloquence has never been a pre-requisite for discipleship.

Remember that you’re not the only one who feels awkward sometimes, so don’t be too hard on yourself. When scenarios like the ones above happen, don’t worry about it. Such is life. Everything will be okay for Sara, and for you as well. In fact, when you think about it…

“Okay Sara, Sara” sounds kind of like “Que Sera, Sera” What will be will be!

Me: GET IT? THE SONG? HAHAHAHA!!!!
You: *silence*

(Awkward)

Have a great week,

Mitch