As we pedaled along, he began to tell me his story, his chocolate colored face etched with wrinkles, yet eyes that shone as bright as the sun and so animated... He said he had worked at a school for over 30 years and just LOVED it. His was was beaming as he said that. I asked him if he was a teacher, fully expecting an affirmative. Instead, smile on his face, he shook his head no. "I was a janitor! And let me tell you, I could get through to those kids in ways that the parents or teachers couldn't. I still run into some of them 'kids' who are adults now who thank me for talking with them that day at school, it was cause of this or that conversation that they didn't drop out."
Me: "No kidding! What did you say to make help them make better choices?"
Mr. William: "Oh it's all in the way you talk with them! You never put a child or teenager in a situation in which he or she would be embarrassed. That's not the way to do it. Sometimes when you talk with someone you need to use a real gentle, quiet voice, other times I had to raise it just slightly and put emphasis so they got the point, but it all depends on the person. You gotta know who you're talking to, gotta read them and let them know you care. Cause if you don't care, they won't care. You gotta love 'em! What we say to them, how we use our words make a huge difference. People have forgotten that these days. Our words can literally change a persons entire life. It's so important to be wise in our words. To pray for wisdom. "
Our words...words...words...Napoleon Hill once said "Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another." mmm. What we say we impacts thoughts and thoughts impacts actions and our actions show the world who we are and can go on forever.
When I got injured, that fateful day in Feb. and since then, I have had more people tell me "Well don't expect to get well too fast. Cause my nephew's uncles' mother's daughter had such and such happen...blah blah blah..." I had someone else tell me "Well I don't want to give you false hope by encouraging you that you will be stronger than you were before." Or "Well, you definitely won't--this or that..." One day particularly I had had many people, some just strangers, others friends, or acquaintances telling me the various negative possibilities in the way of my knee healing fast, I got in my car, and one of my friends called and I pretty much shouted out at her "I am SO TIRED of people trying to make THEIR story MY story! I REFUSE to limit myself, my thoughts, my body, my GOD to what THEIR personal stories and limitations are/were!!! That is NOT my story! My story is going to be different! Because I am going to be healed 110% when all of this is over! I'm going to be stronger than I was before, I'm going to be better than I was before, I'm going to have more mobility than I did before, I REFUSE to claim their story as MINE. Cause it's NOT my story! End of discussion!!!" My friend started laughing was like "hmmm, could you please repeat that with a little more conviction?!" I busted up laughing. But it made me stop and think--the power that our words have to harm or heal, to build up or tear down, to encourage or discourage. And you know what?
Everyday I wake up, and I tell myself by God's grace I'm healed and healing and I'm stronger than I was, and I have full mobility back, etc. I claim it. I full expect it. I have a handful of special people in my life who have said the same thing, who have remembered to use their words to claim that truth and belief with me, who have encouraged me. My PT and Surgeon and pretty much everyone who I have met who have had a similar surgery have been amazed at how far ahead of schedule my recovery is, how strong my knee is getting, how much mobility I have back, how good the scar looks. Prayer, being consistent with physical therapy exercises even on days when I don't have PT, nutrition/supplements/holistically approaching all of this I know has made a difference but also the power of WORDS and THOUGHTS. Our words, our thoughts make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those we encounter.
I read a study recently that talked about children whose parents constantly were on their backs about being 'fat' ended up statistically being overweight more so than those children whose parents weren't constantly ragging on them about being 'fat'.
I was with a family not too long ago it seems like everything seems to go right for them and I was curious, but something I noticed was EVERY person in the family ALL the time spoke positive, spoke blessings, spoke goodness--to each other, to strangers, about life....they claimed God's grace and goodness and blessings...They spoke positive...God spoke and the world WAS. God spoke and the Word became Flesh...The power of the spoken word...I think often times we underestimate it.
So today, I challenge you--what if everything you said became true? Would your life be a big black rain cloud that you couldn't get out from under it, or would it be a life of beauty and joy and blessings and successes and triumphs? Let's speak good of others, let's speak good of ourselves, let's use our words NOT to gossip, or tear down others, or to destroy, but to bear forth LIFE into all we encounter.
"Our words, once uttered, echo into eternity. What will your echo be?"
Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."
Romans 12: 14 ".....bless, and curse not.
