“Blah, blah, blah. Are you listening?”  Head nod.  “Blah, blah, blah…”

That’s what I heard when my parents were trying to teach me a lesson when I was a kid.

Now that I’m a parent, I’m pretty sure that’s how my wonderful words of wisdom get translated in their heads as well.  My words go in one ear and out the other.

Or do they?

Recently I was driving on the freeway and realized that I was about to miss my exit.  I was in the far left lane and would have to do some crazy NASCAR moves to make it there in time.

Just as I started to turn the wheel to zip over, my dad’s voice went through my head, clear as if he was sitting in the seat next to me, “If you are about to miss an exit, skip it and take the next one.  Your life is not worth the risk.”

His words startled me into submission.  I passed my exit and safely took the next one.

I drove home stunned.  I tried to remember the last time my dad said something like that to me.  Honestly I think it was when he was teaching me how to drive – almost 30 years ago (move along folks, nothing to see here – you can stop doing the math).

I realized that our words as parents really do make a difference.  Our words are sticky.  And God brings them to mind when they are needed.  Our job is to just put them in there.

So let’s make them good words…

“The tongue has the power of life and death.” ~ Proverbs 18:21