I remember as a child an old phrase my parents and others taught me. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” In reality, this phrase is so wrong.
The idea was to keep children specifically, and adults I guess, from getting into fights over words. Being the child in my class who got picked on, I can tell you words hurt. I got called all sorts of things, and I cried a lot. Words can indeed hurt.
I would like to think we understand that better today, though I’m not sure. Racial slurs, verbal bullying both in schools and on social media, as well as the little jabs people make like, “Bless your heart,” often hurt more than a rock or being belted with a stick. These words that supposedly don’t break bones, break hearts. The scars run deep and often remain for Long periods of time, even, perhaps, for life.
So the easy message here is to be careful with your words. They do make a difference.
However, the opposite may also be true. Did you tell your loved ones that you love them today? Did you thank the person at Starbucks for taking your order and making you your coffee, even if the service was slower than you like? Did you tell the guy who took your trash that you appreciate them? Did you lift up a child with words of love, support, and encouragement.
Unfortunately in our world, most of the words we hear are negative. I know I come from a professional background where the only thing you hear are complaints. I used to think the only good day was when nobody talked to me. Add to this that with smart phones and social media, we are flooded with negativity. I cannot tell you how many videos I have seen of people just being rude and mean. How I would love just see some good stuff where they tell the other person they are valued, loved, and that they are important.
There are so many things that go unsaid. There are too many “I love yous” left in our hearts. I wonder, if we actually said all the good things that we should, that we think, would they drown out all the negativity and pain? I don’t know the answer to this question, but I do know both professionally, and from personal experience, that spoken words that uplift, that encourage, and that let someone know they are valued and loved are worth more than gold.
I think, just as Jesus often paused to speak with individuals, and he healed them, that maybe if we looked for and found more opportunities to pause, and verbally love others, that we could do a lot of healing in our world. Take a moment today, to just tell someone, a waiter, a child, a friend, a loved one, that you love them. Let them know, specifically, how they are good at something and that they are valued for a skill, or for just being them. Who knows, you might just be washing away a heart hurt, and healing someone’s soul.
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