First Tuesday in Lent

Isaiah 55:10-11
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my work be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.




The first reading for today. Isaiah the Prophet. What an incredible metaphor for the importance of our words. Despite this quote referencing the words going forth from a prophet, the mouthpiece of Spirit, they also say much about the power of the words we speak.

If I say "I'm sick", I sometimes begin to feel sick or queasy or tired. If I say "What a beautiful day!", even a bleak, rain-soaked day shimmers with potential. My words, what I choose to say, how I choose to say it and when I choose to speak, carry power with them. That power shapes my world. It can also influence and shape the world of those around me. If I snap at someone "Why did you do that?", she cringes at my tone of voice and the power of those words tears at her confidence. If I smile and say "Let me help you with that!", the response bouys up the other person instead.

That old schoolyard chant of "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" is absolutely wrong. Words can do far more damage to us because the wound is unseen and often unhealed for a longer time.

When have your words blessed you and/or others? When have they cursed you and/or others? What will your words do today?

Do Your Words Matter?

When I was very young, I didn't speak much. I watched others and waited to see what the next event would be. Words mattered only slightly because I lived in a different world: one where every presence was noticed and colorful.

When I got a little older, I thought my words mattered. I thought others should listen to what I had to say because it was deep and ponderous and important. I still spoke little. And often people did listen because I'd spent years paying attention and learning. Much of what I said made sense.

Then I realized that what I said, my words, didn't matter as much as the meaning and force of them did. Sound contradictory? In a general way, it is. Over the years, I began to see my self as important as the deliverer of the significant words. One day, it struck me that it wasn't me ~ or any one person ~ who was the all-important deliverer of the words, it was how the words were formed, how they struck the soul, that made all the difference in the world.

What about you? Do your words matter? Why? or Why not?