Here we have a fine example of sibling support. As you know, I am fumbling and bumbling my way through the early days with a newborn, and I didn’t manage to write a post last week as dramatic, head-bobbing fatigue had set in. I, honestly, thought that my brother had offered to write a post for me and he says I suggested he do it. Whatever actually happened, he has produced something well worth the read. I have been thinking about my words ever since I read his first thing this morning. It makes me think of Proverbs 18 v 21 which says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Please let me introduce to you my brother, Kent Sheppard, who is not only exceptionally good-looking, funny, kind, generous, witty and strong, but is wise and has always had a way with words. We would to well to listen to what he is saying here:
When my sister suggested I write a guest article, I hesitated! I really love her writing and it seems like the words flow effortlessly from her spirit, and whoever reads them can feel the honesty, warmth, and hope they bring. Would mine be able to match up? Is that some sibling rivalry?
And then I remembered this article I wrote for a school newsletter a few years ago. I recall rewriting it a number of times and reading it again now, I’m struck by how clever I was trying to sound. The words I used were long and fancy, and while the message was there, it lacked authenticity. Maybe I was trying to prove that I knew such great synonyms, or maybe I still felt I needed to show that I wasn’t ‘so stupid that I couldn’t pass a blood test’ – a taunt I still remember from school days, over twenty years ago!
The gist of the article was how the old adage of ‘sticks and stones’ doing more harm than words is so wrong. Words get their claws stuck in you and remain with you long after the physical bruises heal. They can lie dormant within you for years and then in those long midnight hours can rob you of sleep. They can push aside the truth and make you question who you are. They are much more powerful than sticks and stones!
I battle with a lot of self doubt and at times life can be very dark, but on the outside I’m still the same old me. I’m a pretty big guy and I don’t often show too much emotion, although, put me in front of a mic at a wedding and the tears flow! You would think that I’m unfazed by the taunts and put downs on the rugby field when the cut above my eye warrants more concern. Or, when someone utters a throwaway comment about the colour of my beard and that ‘gingers have no souls’! The truth is, those words hurt! I guess the point I’m trying to make is to not let someone’s outward appearance dictate what you feel you can say to them!
I’ve got to this point and realised that the majority of this post is on the negative impact of words. It’s amazing how we can dwell on one hurtful comment and let the positive and loving comments fall aside. Maybe we need to be more intentional with how we receive what people say about us and in return, treat our words as the powerful instruments they are. Maybe we need to start a challenge where we have to highlight something positive about someone at least once a day. Maybe we need to accept wholeheartedly when someone notices and points out something good about you! Maybe we just need to realise that words are so powerful and we need to take a little more care when we use them!
It’s now incredibly late and I really can’t believe that my extremely talented sister does this every week, on top of everything else she does! She certainly has a way with words! Now how do you write that drum sound you make after telling a silly joke?
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