One of my greatest joys while in Florida staying with Adam, Linnea and my grandchildren is listening to Skylar Grace talk. Although she’s only 2½, she has the vocabulary of a six year old, using words like project, celebration, cherish and included. Amazingly, she uses them correctly in complete sentences.

If Skylar is conscious, she’s talking. When we’re available to interact, that’s her first choice. If not, there’s the one year old Micah as her audience. If she senses his interest is straying, there are dolls and stuffed animals. She also talks to stones, cups in her play-kitchen, bits of paper, just about anything.

This little girl has something in common with every radio host: she avoids dead air. Her moment-to-moment modus operandi is to keep the words flowing. Her parents patiently participate in the never-ending conversation, but surely there are days when Skylar’s forceful voice wears on them.

As for me, I’m just the visiting grandma, loving every single word. When I call Linnea from my home in Michigan, I hear Skylar’s chatter in the background and crave talking with her. She gets on the phone with me and chats like a mini-adult, and when I hear her, it makes me long to be with her. This week, my wish came true, and we’re talking face-to-face.

My six other kids are getting a treat this week also, courtesy of Skylar. Each night as I post this blog on Facebook, I send a separate message to them entitled: “Skylar Quote of the Day.” Yesterday’s quote came as she intentionally and repeatedly fell backwards into a low ditch near the house. When Linnea asked what she was doing she said, “I’m working on my issues here.”

Today when nap time brought quietness to the house, Linnea and I shared a late lunch and talked about talking. We agreed it’s easy to say more than we should and both feel regret over times when we’ve said too much. Not only have we caused hurt, but our yammering has forced others to be silent. Unfortunately, just like toothpaste out of a tube, words can’t be put back where they came from.

But how can we stop ourselves from over-talking if that’s our tendency? Scripture has the answer: “The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?” (1 Corinthians 4:20-21)

More than likely God will discipline us if we keep talking too much, and none of us want that! To help us practice quietness, the Bible describes a perk we’ll receive if we’ll button our lips: “Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.”  (Proverbs 17:28) Maybe that’ll motivate us to listen more and talk less.

And as we practice silence, we won’t have to worry about dead air. Skylar can handle that.

”Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.” (Ecclesiastes 5:2)