The power of words...

I love this quote from Mother Teresa and it resonates with me because of the reflecting and soul searching I have been doing a lot of these days. Something my personality type is notorious for, but even more so in recent months. Ironically, while sorting through some old files, I ran across a folder of age-stained papers with faded ink and an almost archaic typeface. These papers and notes were dated as far back as 20 years. Over time, these files had slipped farther and farther into the abyss of a storage closet in my basement, mostly forgotten in the swirl of life, until I recently pulled some boxes out to begin the process of a long overdue purge.

Running across these notes was sort of like opening a time capsule, truly "echos from the past." Tears welled up in my eyes while reading one very brief paragraph written to me in 1998, and something that I had all but forgotten. I remember when I first received this particular note, and how it was so precious to me. I clung to the words for years, and though I was going through a time that was emotionally daunting and heavy, the words in this note helped me press on with hope. Those words helped me believe that the dreams in my heart would one day be realized.

Words have such power. If we fully understood how very powerful our words can be, we would use them more carefully. Just a few simple words can encourage a person and give them hope and sometimes it only takes one harsh, critical, or negative word to crush a person’s spirit completely. Rereading this note brought a flood of hope back to me and held the perfect words of encouragement I needed today. These words, written so long ago, helped bring clarity to "the funk" I have been feeling lately. Words will never cease to amaze me. This is an example to me of the Bible passage in Proverbs 18:21, that says, “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” I so appreciate the words of life I read from this faded paper. These words reminded me of something I had almost allowed to slip away. They reminded me about something good that I need to cling to and pursue and not allow to fade away or give up on.

In this same regard, I am hopeful that this Encouraging Words blog will bring life-filled words to all who read it. I will endeavor to keep the writings as brief as possible, but meaningful. I am a new blogger, so I don't really know what I'm doing; however, I am excited about being part of something greater than my very small corner of the world. My vision is to be a catalyst for building bridges of communication, establishing connectedness, and to bring hope and harmony where there is chaos….one blog at a time.