The Power Of Words

It was 15 years ago. I was driving home with my 8 year old son after a trip to the grocery store. Traffic was light. The sun was shining. A cool Autumn breeze was in the air. I was quietly singing along to the song playing on the radio. I pulled to a stop at the intersection and looked both ways. The road was clear. I slowly started to make a right turn when suddenly a car rounded a curve at high speed and came straight at me. I stomped on the breaks of my car killing the engine in the process. The speeder zoomed past my dead car without even slowing down missing me by inches.

Before I knew it a stream of profanity was flying from my lips, chasing after the car and its driver. I then looked over to my son who was staring up at me innocently. With a red face and an embarrassed smile I started the car, pulled back onto the road, and headed home.

Later that evening I was reading a book when I heard certain, unpleasant words coming from my son’s bedroom. He was replaying the incident over and over in his mind and swearing enough to make a sailor blush. Too late I realized the power of those words that had flown from my lips in that moment of anger. It took a lot of talks about good language and bad language with my son to undo the damage of that one incident.

That mistake, however, did teach me just how strong words can be. It helped me to swear off swearing in my own life and to start using words that uplift and inspire instead. I slowly realized that language is a gift from God and should be used to make our world better not worse. I learned too that a few loving words can help a hurting heart, strengthen a struggling spirit, and lighten a heavy load. I pray then that all of your words today are full of love, joy, happiness, and light. I pray that everything that comes from your lips flows from your soul.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~

You can get Joseph Mazzella's book, "WALKING THE PATH OF LOVE," at www.amazon.com

[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright © 2011 (joecool@wirefire.com) -- {used with permission} ]