An interesting new habit

In the last few months, a new exclamation has come forth from my lips:  the word, SERIOUSLY!  Now that could be seriously?  (like “ did you really mean that? “ or “ that’s the look you were going for ??!! “ ) or I use it when I’m making a point or trying to convince someone,  like, “no, I mean it, seriously!”.   

I can’t figure out when I started this new “habit” or even how to stop it.  I’m just glad it isn’t a new swear word (!).  Sometimes I pick up words that those I live with or “hang” with say.  Like, “whatever” or “totally” or “SWEET!”.   You get the picture – a slang word of sorts, an exclamation.  But seriously, (!) where did this come from?

NO CLUE.  I say its “interesting” because IT has entered into my prayer life – seriously.  Okay, I’ll stop now . . . . (maybe not).  J

Does God need a “seriously” in my prayers?  I’m thinking He knows my heart and knows how “serious” I am about them.  In fact, I have scripture to back that one up:  (PSALM 44)

If we had forgotten the name of our God

    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

would not God have discovered it,

    since He knows the secrets of the heart?

So, He knows I’m serious.   PLUS I’m thinking God is ALWAYS serious.  The definition of serious is “somber, humorless”.  The opposite of serious is “flippant, happy, funny, light”.  Wait, God is light and He is also NOT humorless, don’t you think?

I’m thinking what He did to Jonah could be thought of as “flippant” or “funny” – I mean yes, it had serious consequences, but being swallowed by a whale ????? – who thinks of that stuff?  Oh yeah !!

What about the story about the guy who was riding on a donkey and the donkey kept going his own way because an angel was leading it and the guy didn’t know it and wait, I’ll find it in Scripture.  Its in Numbers 22.   (GOTTA LOVE BIBLEGATEWAY.COM)  And the guy’s name is Balaam.

Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”  “No,” he said.

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

Now that I read the story, it’s not THAT funny – but whatever.  Someone stop me – PLEASE!

Anyway, this new “habit” of mine makes me hesitate, as soon as I say “seriously” to God, putting a smile on my face, and has me contemplating the God of the universe, the GREAT I AM,  the First and the Last, the Savior of the world, hearing me – forgiving me - loving me – guiding me. 

I just can’t stand it – seriously.