Let Our Words Speak Life

Last week, I treated my daughters to breakfast at a local restaurant. As I was filling my coffee cup—the baby in my arms, the three-year-old hanging on my leg—a woman who appeared to be a grandmother put her hand on my arm. “You are so pretty,” she said. “And your girls are just precious!”

Then she smiled, and that was it. She wasn’t looking for anything from me, she wasn’t trying to coerce my assistance in any way, she simply saw me, a busy young mother, and chose to speak words to bless me.

Honestly, I was a bit dumbfounded for a split second (I may have even glanced behind me to see if she meant the comment for someone else), but I recovered quickly enough to be able to smile and thank her sincerely. I told her that her comment meant a lot, and truth be told, she doesn’t know how much her simple words spoken in kindness blessed me. A gracious comment like that can be healing rain to a frazzled, harried mother of littles. Please understand that I don’t share this exchange to brag. On the contrary, I share it because this woman chose to look beyond the crazy, hot mess that I was at the moment and see beauty … and then she shared her view with me! Sometimes we need the perspective of others to see the beauty right in front of us. 

And as I thought a bit more on our brief exchange, I realized that it was just more confirmation that God sees! Throughout the past few days, I’ve considered her kind comment and the power of our words. Each day we have the option of choosing to be instruments of His grace by speaking life-giving words to bless others. 

Proverbs 16:24 says “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” And Colossians 4:6 tells us, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt … “

Words hold such power, and we have a profound opportunity to use them as a tangible blessing in others’ lives, if we so desire. We can encourage and edify, uplift, soothe a parched spirit if we’ll only choose to speak words of grace.

That sweet woman’s comment was more than mere words spoken in kindness; they were a beautiful ministry right when I needed it. On one of my busiest mornings, when I’d thrown some makeup on in a hurried five minutes and hustled three kids out the door, the Lord used a grandmother to send rain on my dry soul. She may never know what her comment meant, but in the moment I was feeling exceptionally frazzled, it was as if God used her to lean close and whisper “You are the apple of my eye” (Psalm 17:8).

Friend, if you’re anything like me, you need to hear that too. So please listen … You are the apple of His eye, and He is enthralled by your beauty (Psalm 45:11). He takes great delight in you, and He rejoices over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). Let those words fall like the spring rains on a dry and parched ground.

And after those words have watered your soul, would you choose to pass them on? Today or tomorrow would you opt to speak words that give grace? Would you send rain upon a parched soul, be the tangible proof that God sees? Consider choosing a family member, a friend, even a stranger, and share a life-giving word to encourage his or her spirit. You never know when God may use you to lean into the weary and remind them that He sees!

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