A clogged bathtub is the worst, especially for a family of six living in a one bathroom house.

To make matters worse it happened in the evening hours.

As usual, my Latina-ness kicked in, and I started trying some home remedies, that my mama so graciously modeled for me when I was a child.

On side note, once my kitchen sink was clogged. After so many attempts to fix it, I got really frustrated, and I grabbed the leaf blower.

Bare with me for a second.

I thought I could force the gunk in the drain through with the power of the air. In a previous clogged situation, I had witnessed a plumber use a device to blow air though the drain to fix the clog.

Needless to say, the water in the drain splashed all over me. Lesson learned!

Back to my bathtub.

This time around, I poured bleach down the drain.

I poured boiling hot water down it.

I poured laundry detergent down it. Okay, I got desperate.

I even caved in, and bought the Drano, and I poured the whole container down the drain.

Nothing worked!

Finally, my husband got a clothes hanger and shoved it down the drain. He started pulling out the gunk and hair that had accumulated. It was absolutely disgusting, but eventually the drain was fixed.

Our hearts can often be like that clogged drain.

Some of us, can definitely use a little cleaning of our hearts. And, some of us, need some major unclogging.

If someone were to shove a clothes hanger into our hearts they would find that a bunch of accumulated gunk resides there.

It would most likely be all tangled together like the gunk from the bathtub drain.

~bitterness~resentment~discontentment~envy~hate~wrath~unforgiveness~

And, what is closely connected to our hearts?  ~~~our~mouth

The bible says, “a good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45

The mouth is neutral. It can easily bless or curse the people it encounters, especially it’s owner.

Like the scripture says, the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. If our hearts are full of gunk, then what is going to come out of our mouths?

Certainly, not good things. If anything, the gunk will provoke us to sin.

We are more likely doing a whole lot of over talking or unwholesome talk. Instead of building up others, it’s tearing them down with unkind words, slander, and gossip.

Gossip.

None of us is doing it, but it sure is happening.

I can easily recall the first time I heard gossip, because it was about my mother.

I was playing with my Barbie dolls when I overheard “them” talking.

I didn’t know the depths of what was shared, but I did remember them saying “Goddy thinks she is better than us.”

They saw me look their way, and they immediately told me to mind my own business.

I remember how much it hurt me to hear negative words spoken about my mother, and then to be told, ‘don’t you dare tell your mother about what we are talking about.’

My mother wasn’t perfect. But, she wasn’t the type to think of herself to be better than anyone. No doubt about it, she was confident and strong. She also was the type of person that would give someone the shirt off her back. She was always giving to others! I loved and admired that about her.

Years later, gossip is still prevalent in my little world.

Yes, Christians gossip!

It’s more subtle. It’s usually attached with Christian lingo words, like prayer or guidance.

Now, don’t think, as I write this blog, I am sitting in an ivory tower with a halo over my head. This blog is speaking directly to me, as well, like it usually does.

Like the scripture says, “do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you- for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.” Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

Like the majority of us, I have sinned in this area. But, I have to say, I never been the type to be malicious or catty about it. Most of you know what kind of girl I am describing, and I am sure none of my readers are like that. Haha!

However, we have all witnessed them in action, or have been the recipient of their meanness.

But, no amount of gossip is good, not even, a little bit.

Words have power, and they can hurt! “The tongue has the power of life and death…’ Proverbs 18:21

I want to challenge us to set a higher standard and hold each other accountable when it comes to our words. I am not saying for us to police each other, but rather to encourage one another to monitor our mouths.

Back to the clogged heart.

Besides the gunk having to be pulled out, so we can refrain from speaking badly about others, the clog also makes it difficult for the Lord’s words and goodness to penetrate our hearts.

We can’t be teachable or moldable, if we have a clogged heart. Let’s stop making excuses for the gunk.

You might say, “So and so, really hurt me, so I can’t move on, not quite yet”. But, what you are ultimately saying is that I am going to stay angry, and allow this bitterness and unforgiveness to take root in my heart.

The best thing we can do for ourselves and our loved ones is to habitually examine our heart. 

We should also closely examine what we let into your heart. Like the tub has a strainer, we need have one for our hearts also.

If we do this, we’ll have to deal with less clogs, and thus, less drama.

It’s not easy to tame our mouths, but next time we feel like sharing something that is not beneficial to the other person, we need to immediately shut our mouths.

And, if someone comes to you with junk about someone else, nicely remove yourself from the conversation.

We have enough of us bad mouthing others, instead let’s strive to be women that encourage and uplift others, speak the truth in love, and breathe life into the dead situations around us.

In essence, an unclogged heart makes it easier to love others, so grab that clothes hanger and start pulling out that gunk.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29