Sticks and Stones may Break my Bones,
But words will never hurt me!
This childhood chant is all wrong.
We grow up believing that this will protect us from the words of our peers.
Hurtful words actually have the opposite effect.
They can cause pain for a lifetime.
In elementary school I was not part of the cool crowd.
I was a chubby girl with freckles.
My mom didn't have very much money raising 3 kids on her own.
Most of our clothes were hand me downs.
So, let's just say I was easy pickings.
I remember a boy in elementary school that was very cruel to me.
His name still brings on a tinge of anger.
We were in the same classes all the way through 8th grade.
UGH...
I had an older boyfriend in high school that was a very cruel, abusive person.
The things he told me still ring in my head
when I'm feeling down about myself.
There are those comments and the people from your past
that will sometimes pop back into your head throughout your life.
Sometimes you can blow them off as a childhood memory and
sometimes they will still devastate you
and you will relive those comments.
Then there are the people close to you now.
Your friends and family.
Those seem to be the comments that hurt the most
and have the most lasting effect.
My husband and I have said so many things that we regret during arguments.
I can't get most of those things out of my head.
When I'm upset or down on myself,
those comments are the things that pop back into my head.
They are the most hurtful.
Some of those comments will never be erased from my memory.
Some of those comments will hurt every time they are remembered.
The same goes for my husband.
He has told me some comments that I have said when I was upset that still hurt him.
I have to live with that.
I have to live with the fact that I was careless with my words and
I hurt the person I love most.
This happens so often with our kids too.
Sometimes we say things we don't mean to our kids.
Or we get upset at our kids before thinking about how we are reacting.
They remember all of those things.
We work so hard to protect our children from pain.
If someone was making fun of your child or causing pain to your child,
how would you react?
Do we want to be the people to cause them to hurt?
Do we want our children to remember us as angry or having harsh words?
Words can be devastating.
Words are powerful beyond our imagination.
Words can be life changing.
They can be life changing in a bad or a good way.
We can use our words to bring life to one another.
To lift each other up.
Every time we open our mouths we can choose to give life or to take it.
That's why it's so important for us to raise our children to love one another.
To care for how others feel.
There are always going to be cruel people in the world.
But, we can change the world by raising our children to be kind and loving.
Do you remember a kind word that was spoken in just the right moment?
Something that uplifted you for the day?
A comment that changed your perspective?
A person that spoke life giving words?
I have so many of these that it would be hard to list.
So many people in my life have tried to speak life giving words.
Sometimes those words hit me right away and
sometimes those words hit later in my life.
I try to speak life giving words to all the people in my life.
I'm not always good at it but I try.
I try to give encouragement at any chance I get to those around me.
I try to listen and think before talking to my children.
I try to speak kindly to my husband so I don't have words that I regret later.
As much as I have those painful words in my mind,
I also have those loving words in my heart.
Words that my husband has given me will often keep me going.
Positive things that others say to me can give me a really wonderful day.
If you think something good, say it.
Don't pass by the opportunity to say something wonderful to or about someone.
If it comes to mind, say it right then.
Don't wait.
Most of the time if you wait then another opportunity won't arise
Especially when it comes to your husband or wife.
I have been trying to say things that I think right away.
Sometimes I think something wonderful and I forget to say it.
Then my husband never knows.
What a blessing it is that we can encourage the ones we love the most.
How wonderful is it that we can say the amazing things we think about our spouses
and put them on cloud 9.
We can do that.
Why not use what we are thinking to bless our loved ones?
You can never give too much encouragement.
Never rob someone of an unspoken treasure.
This is also true with the words we speak to ourselves.
I struggle here for sure.
If you tell yourself your not beautiful, then you will believe it.
If you tell yourself that you hate your job, then you will hate it.
If you tell yourself that you aren't worth it, then you will believe you aren't worth it.
What we say to ourselves is what we will believe and it will shape our future.
We might not do something amazing because of the things we have said to ourselves.
We need to speak life to ourselves as well.
God created us.
We are beautiful creatures.
He knit each of us together in our mother's womb.
God has a plan for our lives.
Don't tell yourself things that are untrue and hinder his plans for your life.
Remember the truths from God.
Remember that you are beautiful.
Remember that you can do all things with Christ.
At all times say life giving words.
Your words matter.
Speak Life!
Speak Love!
Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Hurtful words actually have the opposite effect.
They can cause pain for a lifetime.
In elementary school I was not part of the cool crowd.
I was a chubby girl with freckles.
My mom didn't have very much money raising 3 kids on her own.
Most of our clothes were hand me downs.
So, let's just say I was easy pickings.
I remember a boy in elementary school that was very cruel to me.
His name still brings on a tinge of anger.
We were in the same classes all the way through 8th grade.
UGH...
I had an older boyfriend in high school that was a very cruel, abusive person.
The things he told me still ring in my head
when I'm feeling down about myself.
There are those comments and the people from your past
that will sometimes pop back into your head throughout your life.
Sometimes you can blow them off as a childhood memory and
sometimes they will still devastate you
and you will relive those comments.
Then there are the people close to you now.
Your friends and family.
Those seem to be the comments that hurt the most
and have the most lasting effect.
My husband and I have said so many things that we regret during arguments.
I can't get most of those things out of my head.
When I'm upset or down on myself,
those comments are the things that pop back into my head.
They are the most hurtful.
Some of those comments will never be erased from my memory.
Some of those comments will hurt every time they are remembered.
The same goes for my husband.
He has told me some comments that I have said when I was upset that still hurt him.
I have to live with that.
I have to live with the fact that I was careless with my words and
I hurt the person I love most.
This happens so often with our kids too.
Sometimes we say things we don't mean to our kids.
Or we get upset at our kids before thinking about how we are reacting.
They remember all of those things.
We work so hard to protect our children from pain.
If someone was making fun of your child or causing pain to your child,
how would you react?
Do we want to be the people to cause them to hurt?
Do we want our children to remember us as angry or having harsh words?
Words can be devastating.
Words are powerful beyond our imagination.
Words can be life changing.
They can be life changing in a bad or a good way.
We can use our words to bring life to one another.
To lift each other up.
Every time we open our mouths we can choose to give life or to take it.
That's why it's so important for us to raise our children to love one another.
To care for how others feel.
There are always going to be cruel people in the world.
But, we can change the world by raising our children to be kind and loving.
Do you remember a kind word that was spoken in just the right moment?
Something that uplifted you for the day?
A comment that changed your perspective?
A person that spoke life giving words?
I have so many of these that it would be hard to list.
So many people in my life have tried to speak life giving words.
Sometimes those words hit me right away and
sometimes those words hit later in my life.
I try to speak life giving words to all the people in my life.
I'm not always good at it but I try.
I try to give encouragement at any chance I get to those around me.
I try to listen and think before talking to my children.
I try to speak kindly to my husband so I don't have words that I regret later.
As much as I have those painful words in my mind,
I also have those loving words in my heart.
Words that my husband has given me will often keep me going.
Positive things that others say to me can give me a really wonderful day.
If you think something good, say it.
Don't pass by the opportunity to say something wonderful to or about someone.
If it comes to mind, say it right then.
Don't wait.
Most of the time if you wait then another opportunity won't arise
Especially when it comes to your husband or wife.
I have been trying to say things that I think right away.
Sometimes I think something wonderful and I forget to say it.
Then my husband never knows.
What a blessing it is that we can encourage the ones we love the most.
How wonderful is it that we can say the amazing things we think about our spouses
and put them on cloud 9.
We can do that.
Why not use what we are thinking to bless our loved ones?
You can never give too much encouragement.
Never rob someone of an unspoken treasure.
This is also true with the words we speak to ourselves.
I struggle here for sure.
If you tell yourself your not beautiful, then you will believe it.
If you tell yourself that you hate your job, then you will hate it.
If you tell yourself that you aren't worth it, then you will believe you aren't worth it.
What we say to ourselves is what we will believe and it will shape our future.
We might not do something amazing because of the things we have said to ourselves.
We need to speak life to ourselves as well.
God created us.
We are beautiful creatures.
He knit each of us together in our mother's womb.
God has a plan for our lives.
Don't tell yourself things that are untrue and hinder his plans for your life.
Remember the truths from God.
Remember that you are beautiful.
Remember that you can do all things with Christ.
At all times say life giving words.
Your words matter.
Speak Life!
Speak Love!
Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
I love this. It's so true. Words can never be taken back and can do a lot of damage. It is not always easy when you're angry, but we have to try.
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