Tongues

Living on the west side of the Ottawa River and not understanding or speaking a word of French reminds me of speaking in tongues. I do not understand a word of French and many francophones cannot speak English. I remember the time I went into a garage and asked where the washroom was. I asked in English; no one understood me. Finally someone started to laugh and said she is looking for the “toilette.” It was like we were speaking in tongues. When my son was 11, he and I spent some time in France. Because he was taking French in school, he tried to converse in French with a clerk in a restaurant in Paris. The clerk did not understand him and in broken English asked if we were from Quebec. She recognized the words but not as French words. He gave his order in English and was understood. It was a lesson for him about speaking in tongues.

God is asking us in this verse to speak and teach in a way that the people with whom we are speaking can understand.

Gracious God when we are teaching people, help us to speak in a language that they understand. Amen. — ES

Contributed by Tongues

Living on the west side of the Ottawa River and not understanding or speaking a word of French reminds me of speaking in tongues. I do not understand a word of French and many francophones cannot speak English. I remember the time I went into a garage and asked where the washroom was. I asked in English; no one understood me. Finally someone started to laugh and said she is looking for the "toilette." It was like we were speaking in tongues. When my son was 11, he and I spent some time in France. Because he was taking French in school, he tried to converse in French with a clerk in a restaurant in Paris. The clerk did not understand him and in broken English asked if we were from Quebec. She recognized the words but not as French words. He gave his order in English and was understood. It was a lesson for him about speaking in tongues. God is asking us in this verse to speak and teach in a way that the people with whom we are speaking can understand.
Eternity for Today