You can do better.

“I opened my mouth and my mother came out.” -Unknown

I have shared before that I am the mom of a new driver. My husband and I have been very conscious of our own driving behaviors as we set the example of how we want our daughter to drive.  This heightened awareness began shortly after her 15th birthday when she began to question and comment on our driving habits: like what “Mom, what exactly is a complete stop?”, or “Dad, how much can you ‘really’ speed?”, or my personal favorite: “Nice turn signal, mom!”

So after nearly 18 months of being under the watchful eye of an emerging driver, my husband and I have new and improved driving habits. Yea for us! What I noticed this past weekend as my husband drove us down to Flordia through good and bad traffic, around accidents and construction, in the sunshine and the rain our collective attitudes about OTHER drivers were different as well.

Once, just south of Nashville, traffic was slowed due to construction and three lanes were being merged into one lane. There was another driver that was jockeying for the best possible place in the single file line.  We all know this guy….let’s call him Todd. Todd was the guy that was going around all the slowing traffic Todd was weaving in and out of traffic passing on the left and passing on the right, cutting in and out of line. Then when Todd finally got to the actual lane closure he turned on his turn signal and wanted us to let him in front of us?!?! In the past, my husband would have had some very specific words of advice for Todd and where he could put his turn signal, but this year all my husband said as he motioned for Todd to go ahead and move into the line ahead of us was, “Aw come on! You can do better.”

You can do better!

Instead of letting Todd’s inconsiderate and reckless driving make him angry my husband chose to let words of encouragement pass over his lips. Now we all know that Todd didn’t hear those words of encouragement from my husband any more than Todd would have heard the graphic description of where to put his turn signal, but you know who did hear those words? My daughter. My daughter heard what her father said to Todd. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow but maybe someday, when my daughter opens her mouth her father’s words will come out.

In Paul’s letter to Titus, he tells Titus (Chap 2 verse 7)  “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness.” Paul was advising Titus on how to set an example for the members of his church. It is not much of a stretch to say we can do the same for our families.  Because it is one thing to open our mouths and hear our parents’ voices come out, we find our selves saying and doing the things that we promised our selves we would never say or do-  but it is quite another to hear your own words and voice come out of your child’s mouth. Are you doing better?