by Phyllis Ducey
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I love words. They express beauty, ugliness, honesty, lies, compassion, bitterness, love, hate... they can create a whole world in our minds or they can tear down your world. All depends on how they are arranged, the tone used and the perception of the listener or reader. There is an art to words. With them you can (with mere strokes of the keyboard) enhance someone's life or destroy it.

At work I have been accused of having a "golden shovel." In other words I can shovel it deep but I do it with honesty. For example, we are training employees and the speaker who normally handles the class is absent. You could say when you stand in front of the class "I'm sorry so & so could not make it today so you are stuck with me. Bear with me as I present." (And yes, I have heard people say that.) My way would be to say "I am so excited that so & so was unable to make the class because I am now privileged to have this opportunity to present it! We have some really great information to cover so let's get started!" Both basically say the same thing but one turns a disappointment into an opportunity; a dreaded hour into an anticipated one.

Without even realizing it I find my mind wordsmithing a negative to a positive constantly. I have several supervisors and coworkers who come to me to figure out how to phrase things in such a manner that it softens a blow or encourages rather than discourages an employee. And that to me is the real beauty of words... encouragement!

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Heb 3:13

A few encouraging words gently planted into someone's life can change their whole outlook for a minute, for an hour, for a day... for an eternity! I was checking out at the grocery store the other day and the guy who was checking our groceries looked to be around 19 or 20. He never said hi or made eye contact. I was a little irritated that he did not do either since that is part of his job but instead of fostering my irritation, I prayed for him. I finally told him that he looked tired today. He instantly responded with a whole dissertation on how he works two jobs and told us about his other job, which happened to be as a budding young tattooist. He was so into his life story that he kept talking even after the bags were all full. I doubt if I affected him for eternity but I do know my words brightened that moment of his day for him. He felt respected and valued as we listened to his story.

Listening (that would be a whole other post) goes hand-in-hand with words. When you listen the other person gets the opportunity to express with their words. They feel valued and cared about. And if you listen real close you can find within their pain, sorrow or concerns a positive in the situation to encourage them in the Lord.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Heb 10:25

And there are times... words fail us. When there are no words adequate to express ourselves. We are unable to relate our feelings or our caring for others. That is the time to turn to prayer... to not tell the Lord what to do but say here it is and let His Spirit intercede for you.

"In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Rom 8:26

God has gifted us with so very much. To me, words are one of those wonderful gifts. It is up to us to choose to use this gift wisely and bless the Lord through them.