Words have such power! By simply uttering words, God created the universe, as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. By words, Jesus healed, calmed storms, cast out demons, and fed thousands of people. Words have the power to encourage and give hope to someone who’s about to give up; words extend forgiveness and mercy; words express kindness, grace, patience, love, and truth.
Am I speaking those kinds of words?
Some Scriptures: Genesis 1 and 2, Matthew 8:3, Matthew 8:13, Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 1:23-25, Luke 9:14-16, Luke 23:40-43, John 8: 11, Psalm 19:14, Proverbs 14:5a, Proverbs 15:4a
As I write this I’m sitting outside in the front yard, soaking up the sun. The house inside is chilly, even with the furnace on. On a clear day like today, with the sunshine at full blast, temperatures warm up faster outside than in.
I feel sleepy (probably from staying in bed too long) and not motivated to do anything. My hips, some other joints, and some muscles are protesting last week’s yard work. So I decided to sit in the sun and chill out for awhile, wearing my wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt and customary blue jeans. I am ignoring the call of the dishes in the sink, the yard needing mowed and raked, and a lot of other items lining up on my to-do list. (I get a mental picture of soldiers lining up for roll call.)
My spirit feels as though I need time to do nothing, to block out responsibilities for a little while. I need time to just be an observer, soaking up the sights of trees and flowers blooming, along with the sounds of robins, Eastern phoebes, doves, goldfinches, orioles, cardinals, and chimney swifts providing nature’s symphony in the background.
Currently I don’t work outside the home, but I do the normal household tasks, along with outside work. I’ve been busy the past few days. Plus, there’s concerns and irritations which get on my nerves and sap my spirit. I need this time of saying “no” to all those things without feeling guilty. The chores and the world can wait for a bit longer. I need to enjoy “being” before I can enjoy “doing” again.
When I was in school, most learning took place via memorization and what’s now known as the visual learning style. If you were blessed with a good memory (as I was), had a mostly visual learning style (as I did), and liked to learn new facts (as I did), you generally got good grades. Note that I can’t take credit for any of these. They were part of my “package” when I arrived in the world.
A problem developed when I did start taking credit for these. Since I wasn’t popular socially, wasn’t pretty, and lacked self-confidence, I bolstered my self-esteem by tying it to the only thing I had–my academic achievements. I thought I was better than other people because I got good grades and they didn’t. (I cringe as I type that now; it is so way off-base, so foolish and arrogant.)
I didn’t understand that a person is born with certain aptitudes and skills not to lord it over people, not to think she is better than others but to develop and use those aptitudes and skills in the service of other people. A person highly-motivated to learn could become a teacher, for instance, putting his enthusiasm into the hearts and minds of others.
I apologize to people I looked down on. I was wrong and I know people were hurt by my attitude.
A few Scriptures: “…knowledge puffs up while love builds up.” I Corinthians 8:1 (NIV), “…(God’s) love does not boast, it is not proud…it is not self-seeking…” I Corinthians 13:4, 5
I'm Joanna, a busy married mum of two beautiful boys aged four and three. I'm sharing my experiences as I navigate the wonderful world of motherhood! Mistakes, routines, mum / life hacks, cleaning, beauty...little bit of everything!
If you have experienced betrayal trauma, you know how isolating and distressing it can be. We want to offer support so you feel less alone, and more able to cope with the chaos and the pain.
Country Ripples 
You must be logged in to post a comment.