What's in YOUR Wallet (I Mean--Tongue)?????

I can see it as if it were yesterday . . . There I was, kneeling next to my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Walton, in our classroom, helping her spread out some projects on the floor so that she could examine them better. I'm sure I was there on the wood-grain floor next to her not because of a special invitation, but because, as usual, I was one of the last students to be picked up. We lived too far away from the school for me to simply walk and since at that time my mom still worked in surgery, her hours were pretty unpredictable. It's a good thing I had patient teachers.

As I helped Mrs. Walton organize the written projects--probably in ABC order--another teacher popped in to see what we were up to. My teacher gave her a brief answer and then motioned to me. "Janine is helping me get them in order."

The other teacher smiled at me and said, "Well, it looks like you have a fine helper!"

I could feel my back straighten with pride at each word. I was a fine helper. Even half a century later those words have the power to make my heart beat faster, a flutter of joy move from that organ to every other part of my body. I was a fine helper. Little wonder Mrs. Walton remains my favorite teacher ever.

Words . . . such little things, but what a powerful punch they pack.

From the very beginning of history, words have been a creative force. It was with words that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1). Shoot feller, Jesus was even God's word made flesh! (See John 1:14.)

More than a few decades later, I was so blessed to end my teaching career at Calvary Christian School in Harlingen, Texas. Last year, after I retired, I was wearing an old Calvary polo shirt at the grocery store when the person behind me struck up a conversation. The gentleman had sent his own children to Calvary and had noticed the insignia on my shirt. I made it clear that I was retired, not working there anymore, but he was nonetheless insistent in thanking me, that my service to the Lord there had been invaluable.

I didn't deserve that kind man's thanks, I never taught his children, but those gracious words are forever tucked into my store of treasures, to be taken out and admired in wonder, especially when I am in need of some encouragement.

Science teaches that matter can be neither created nor destroyed. It is always there. I would posit that words, once spoken, have the sustaining power of matter. They will always be there--for good, or for evil.

Now, there IS a fine line to walk. We live in an era when no child is allowed to fail. Helicopter moms hover over their progeny, arms a-swinging, always at the ready to fend off any word or action that might hurt their little one. While being a tiger mom has merit--who else will stand up for your children as well as you, their loving parent?--your child will never learn the dangers inherent in excessive heat if you don't let him/her reap the results of touching a warm stove at least once (please note that I said "warm"--not "hot"; I am NOT advocating abuse here!).

I have a friend whose daughter teaches at a well-known university. She tells her mother, "Mom, these kids coming in don't know how to handle problems. If they get a low mark due to an assignment that was not turned in or done incorrectly, they fall apart. They actually cry in front of the class." These young people have never, ever, EVER been allowed to fail. Their parents sang them that children's movie song, "Everything is AWESOME" one too many times. Yes, we want to build up with our words. But if a child fails to turn in an assignment according to the directives given by the teacher, let him/her reap the consequences instead of impaling the teacher with your verbal abuse. A child needs to learn that his/her actions will reap corresponding consequences. And if a child does not win a game, a little dose of reality will better prepare him/her for the vicissitudes of the real world. It's a fine line to walk, but with God's help we can do it.

I will only give one example of words that are not good. Unfortunately, I have had my share of crying all night due to a student's parent's angry words or crying on my belly before the Lord because a family member has accused me of attitudes I had no idea I was projecting. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are pure or lovely, things worthy of praise. Since hurtful words that speak death into our lives do not fall into those categories, let's leave them alone. I'm sure you've had your sack full of sorrowful words just as I have. Why revisit fugly things? (I looked up synonyms for "ugly" and fugly is one of them! Isn't it a cool sounding word? I love it! --even if its meaning isn't that whippy). So . . . just one example of words that speak death into a life.

A husband I knew did not like the soup his wife made and yelled, "It's too salty!" and gave emphasis to his words by throwing his bowl against the wall. You can imagine the confidence builder that was for his wife! She cooked with fear and trembling ever after! (Hint, hint: Husbands, if you don't like something your wife makes, find something you DO like about the food [the color, texture, ask God to give you an idea], and later gently add, "You know, I think I might like that soup a little better with a little less salt." You can thank Dennis for teaching me these words of wisdom through his living them. Such a gentle way to handle a dish that needs some tweaking will ensure a change in the recipe while not whittling down your wife's self-confidence with regard to cooking.)

No wonder James said that if a man doesn't offend with his words, he's perfect. It is awfully hard to walk that line. Believe me, I have my share of failures. (I've always loved, loved, loved the fact that the high priest in the Old Testament wore a golden plate on his mitre that read "Holiness Unto the Lord." Exodus 28 says that the plate was on there so that the high priest might bear the iniquity of the holy things. God knew that even our best (our HOLY things) would be fraught with error. Try as we might, we will never, at least in this present life, be able to attain the perfection of tongue embodied in our Lord Jesus. Thank God that He is well aware of our frailty and has made a way of escape! Thank God that we can bring our failures to Him and ask for forgiveness! )

Unlike the commercial that asks, "What's in YOUR wallet?", our question is, "What's in YOUR tongue?" Words of life, or words of death?

I say, "Give me words of life!" That's the only way to live!

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21.

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