Our Words

Today, a 7th grade girl came to me. This girl has never talked to me before. I have never taught her before. But I knew her name. And she came to me. And she asked me to pray for her.

So I did.

I thanked God for her and for bringing her to our school. I praised God for the talents He has given her and for all the good things that He has done in her life. And I prayed many other things over her.

Somewhere in the middle of all the things I prayed, she began to sob uncontrollably. And when I finished praying, I hugged her for a long time. Then she pulled away from me with tears in her eyes and asked one question. This girl who has never, ever spoken to me before. After everything I had just prayed, she asked,

"What talents do you see in me?"

So I started listing things. I don't know her very well, but right away, I was able to tell her three great talents that I myself have seen in her or that I've heard other teachers talk about. I told her how highly other people speak of her. And then I asked her,

"Don't you know you are talented?"

And she said no. And she began to cry again.

Nobody had ever told her before.

Nobody.

This beautiful, athletic, intelligent, linguistic, hard-working fourteen year old girl. And nobody had ever told her how special she was.

All day, I've been thinking back over that conversation. And about how I use my words. I use them to teach. I use them to discipline. I use them to joke.

I so rarely use my words to compliment or even to encourage.

Words are powerful things. We see how powerful they are when they are used negatively. But they are equally as powerful when we use them to speak truth and life.

What do you do with your words?