Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
— Proverbs 16:24
Okay, okay, I’ll admit it—I LOVE honey butter and honey on biscuits, sticky or no, so I was thrilled to learn that honey has a long medicinal history all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who used it as a dressing for wounds. Today, honey is touted for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and is considered by holistic practitioners as one of nature’s best all-around remedies. So it doesn’t surprise me at all that the Bible gives us a heads-up on this with today’s Scripture quote.
But what really struck me about today’s quote is the reference to our words being like honey. You see, I am currently reading Joyce Meyer’s latest book called Change Your Words, Change Your Life (awesome book, by the way!), so I am learning just how much power our words have for good or bad, a fact confirmed by tons of Scriptures in the Bible on the tongue and our words.
The first example that came to mind for me was something one of my sweet sisters said to me years ago that has stayed with me forever. Sadly, the reason it came to mind is that this particular sister passed away this week, shocking each of my family members even though we knew she had been ill with Parkinsons. Pat was an amazing woman and sister who continually lifted people up with her words, a living example of the Scripture above in so many people’s lives, including mine. She is greatly loved and will be missed by so very many.
One of my favorite stories about Pat and her “gracious words” (see pic to right of my sisters and two SILs, all wearing saris brought back from Indonesia from another sister, and Pat is in blue and gold sari in back row) happened way back when Keith and I were newlyweds who had just bought a house in “the country.” It was nice enough house for newlyweds on ¾ of an acre, but the wooded backyard of that property butted to the street, which I really didn’t care for. And having been a St. Louis county girl all my life (think “city girl”), I wasn’t overly fond of the rural county to which we moved.
I will never forget the week my sister Pat came from California for a visit. A former nun, Pat was a go-getter of the 1st degree, into healthy eating and walks and exploring one’s environs. So one day, the two of us are taking a walk, and mentally I’m seeing everything wrong with the neighborhood—patched asphalt streets, odd-shaped homes, weedy lots, a rural hodge-podge of everyone building their own idea of a house.
“Oh, what a gorgeous neighborhood,” Pat breathed, almost a hint of awe in her tone. “You must absolutely love it here!” I still remember turning to look at her as if she had just made a joke, waiting for her snickers to follow. Instead, the woman was staring around like Alice in Wonderland, lips parted in wonder while her eyes scanned the street and yards as if she were Dorothy on a week-long jaunt to Oz. Her pace actually slowed to a crawl so that she could take in all the “wonder.”
“Wonder”? I thought—uh, where? “Just look at all these beautiful trees,” she remarked, “oaks and ash and birch, canopies of green shading the yards and street. And that darling rock creek over there?” She sighed with contentment. “Absolutely beautiful!”
I still remember blinking several times in total shock, as if to clear my eyes to see what she saw. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are to live in such a lush and rustic neighborhood?” she asked.
Uh, no?
She continued on, not even aware of the gape of my jaw, her voice bubbling on and on like that silly rock creek, saying how each of the homes were so unique and charming, like an upscale Mayberry where children play and neighbors chat.
And then—in the middle of a hot asphalt road—the most amazing thing happened! I blinked a few more times and it was as if my neighborhood came into focus for the very first time. I started seeing it through my sister’s eyes instead of my own, and OH MY GOODNESS, I saw it—all of it—the charm, the grace, the meandering beauty!! Even now tears sting my eyes over the gift my sister gave me that day—‘gracious words’ that helped me see things through the eyes of gratitude rather than complaint, changing my perspective forever. I will never, ever forget the service Pat did for me that day … and as God is my witness—I will never, ever forget one of the most remarkable sisters a woman ever had.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
— Proverbs 24:11.
I wish you a blessed weekend and may each and every word we speak be as apples of gold, bearing much friend in our lives and in the lives of others.
Hugs,
Julie
CALLING ALL WRITERS … SPEEDBO IS HERE!!!
Like book-in-a-month, Speedbo (Speedbook) in its purest form is a 31 day self-challenge where the writer puts aside the inner critic and produces manuscript pages with the ultimate goal of completing an entire book.
Speedbo Guidelines: Daily, weekly, monthly writing goals are maintained by the individual writer. You may share or not. Your choice.
Check in is not required, but only those who comment will be entered into the weekly drawings. All the action is on the Seekerville blog. One easy location. No fees required.
Don’t rule out Speedbo because you can’t write nonstop for 31 days.Consider doing the Speedbo that fits your lifestyle:
- Become a weekend warrior for five weekends.
- Give up evening television for a month to write.
- Get a babysitter Saturday afternoons for a month so you can write.
- Get up one hour earlier for a month so you can write.
- Write during your lunch hour at work for a month.
- Writing, or revising? We don’t care.
- Fiction,or non-fiction? Your call.
- No rules Just write.
Whatever you do, stretch yourself. Get out of your comfort zone.
Besides the satisfaction of a job well done Seekerville is also offering writing prizes for five straight weeks where you’ll have the opportunity to win one of the following:
- BOOKS GALORE!!
- First-chapter critique -up to 20 pages
- First-5-pages critique
- One-page synopsis critique
- Phone chat with multi-pubbed author
- First-page hook critique
All you have to do is comment! Additionally, the Yankee-Belle Cafe is gearing up to bring you easy recipes for the month of March, so check out the following link by clicking on the box below and GET STARTED!!
