Whitney Williams - Burping and blessing

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Tuesday, July 6th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Commentator Whitney Williams is the mom of three boys, and within the first 10 words of today’s commentary, that much will be obvious.

WHITNEY WILLIAMS, COMMENTATOR: “From the same mouth come blessing and burping,” James 3:10 says. Or, at least that’s how it translates in the Williams’ household.

To the delight of his two brothers, my 4-year-old son Luke recently discovered his God-given ability to burp-on-command.

COLT: Ready, three, two, one … burp!

LUKE: [burps, followed by peals of laughter]

“It just comes from my heart,” Luke tells his fans when they ask how he does it.

From that same gassy heart and mouth come blessings, as well, and most often I stand to benefit.

I must be one of those people who carries her emotions on her face. Either that, or Luke is extremely emotionally intuitive. But nevertheless, as I was helping my three children buckle into their car seats a few days ago, Satan decided to send some flaming Nerf arrows my way. The “anxiety” arrow focused my mind on all of the to-dos that come along with being a wife, mother, WORLD employee, maid, meal planner, chef, referee, screen time guardian, teacher, remote control car technician—I felt overwhelmed.

Then Satan hit me with the “inadequate” arrow: I’m giving it my all and it still isn’t good enough, I need to do more. Be better. I’m failing. Finally, the ‘fear’ arrow: Am I making the most of my time with my children? Cherishing them enough? Am I going to have regrets when they are grown? Am I pushing them to Christ or away from Him? The what-ifs fired through my neurons faster than my brain could process them.

“God, help me. Help.”

That’s when Luke piped up, shielding me from the arrows: “Mom, you’re a good mom. You’re a special mom from God.”

It was as if Christ himself took my troubled face into His hands and reminded me of His love; reminded me that in my weakness, He is more than enough. Luke’s words reminded me that, though I am certainly not perfect, with God’s mercy and grace, I am a great mom to my boys; that I was made for such a role as this.

Proverbs says “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” … “life-giving water.”

And… “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.” (Not the pendant I’d pick out at the jeweler’s, but still a welcome gift.)

How long might I have hunched under Satan’s siege had Luke not showered me with those words of encouragement?

How many times do we, ourselves, choose to offer burps instead of blessings?

Proverbs 3 says “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’—when you have it with you.”

Look out upon the battlefield! Run to that soldier hunched under the weight of Satan’s siege. Hold up your shield and speak life, that he may continue on in the fight. Luke’s got his hands full over here.

MIX: Three, two, one … burp!

LUKE: [burps, followed by peals of laughter]

WHITNEY: That’s skill! I can’t do that.

I’m Whitney Williams.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.