You is kind. You is smart. You is important

Wednesday's Word

• "You are forgiven"
• "I love you"
• "I DO!"
• "It's a girl"
• "It's a boy"
• "I'm sorry you lost your baby"

The above words are just some of the most potent words that have reverberated in my lifetime.

- I did not grow in a family of generous words.

- I walked into adulthood with a bankrupt Word Bank.
- The realization of the power of words tilts my universe a little. Just one can topple a grown man.
- Of recent, a few more words were caught in my net 

'You is smart. You is kind. You is important.'

The above scene clip is one of the most powerful moments for me in the movie "THE HELP"
WHY?

The power of words.

I've not read the book 'THE HELP' (based on the novel by author Kathryn Stockett) but did watch the movie over the Christmas break. The story, as most know, is set in Jackson Mississippi during the 1960s segregation era.
The story focuses on three distinct women – two Black, one white – and their intertwining lives around the ideas of race, class, gender and power.

A simple, poor and trodden down woman, giving the best gift she has...her kind life giving words.

(That's what stuck to me like a post-it!)

Continuously propelling us through life. The life they can birth in a beautiful ripple effect AND the life they can extinguish in a single syllable.

"Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." 

I remember saying those words when young to try and convince myself of its truth in the face of painful words thrown my way.
Unfortunately, it is far from true. They not only wound but without due diligence and prayer, can play over and over in the battlefield of our mind, sucking the joy right out of our very existence... like He never intended.

We can't always count on our loved ones or others to speak life into our day to day. So then what?

When we are dry and thirsty where do we go?

God’s desire is this – that we may come to Him and drink as the fountain of living waters!

 Go to the source of life! Go to Him and drink. Allow Him to fill you to overflowing. When we drink of Him,  – there are rivers of water flowing in us and spilling out on those around

I can remember vividly the last kind words spoken to me...can't you?

• The words of the reckless pierce like swords,  but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

• With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

One of my favorite characters in the story Celia Foote.

To be a little more Celia and a little less Hilly Holbrook!

Now that we are full let us spill out words of life onto others and fill their word bank!