Sounds of Morning
"My head is tingling."
"Dad lost his noodles. We could write a story about that."
"Mom!"
"I'm nervous."
"Whose underwear in the living room floor?"
"Who keeps knocking on the door?"
"Turn off your alarm!"
"What's in your hair? You look like a hippy."
"I wanna be famous."
"Be a good student. I'm always good."
"Is there a soup named chicken doritos?"
"You got some serious kids."
"You're ashy."
You never know what will be the topic of conversation at our house. Sometimes we don't even know what we're talking about. With new English language leaners in our home, you can only imagine. During the Olympics, our Ethiopian daughter was watching the women's downhill events. As she was listening to the commentator introduce a skier, she asked in surprise, "She's a Canadian?" After answering her, I realized something was amiss. I asked her, "do you know what a Canadian is?" She responded, "Yes. Someone who tells jokes for a living."
Words are powerful. Just one can bring laughter or tears. (We hear a lot of both at our house.) Funny how our mind hangs on to the words that hurt, like scars. I still remember a lame comment that a super lame guy in high school made to me.
A good friend of Jesus, named James, spoke so passionately about the power of the spoken word. He compared our tongue to a forest fire, devastating something once full of life. He compared our tongue to the bit in a horse, powerfully able to control and manipulate. Our words are like the rudder on a ship, determining the direction of someone's day, even their life.
Unless we are being purposefully deceiving, our words are an indicator of what's in our hearts. Sorta like fruit on a fruit tree. An apple only grows on an apple tree. Beautiful words grow from a beautiful spirit.
There are moments in life when God gives us words for the heart of someone else. He uses us despite our weaknesses, despite our failures. He can speak life to someone else through us. Crazy.
Has that ever happened to you? A word was spoken to you and you knew it was from God?
How unbelievable that He would use us crazies to deliver his love.
I heard a woman say that she lit a candle each morning to remind herself to speak words that would bring the light of Christ to her family.
You never know which words will stick, but one thing is certain. Our words can do powerful things.
Speak life today.
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14