Good Sunday Morning

It's a beautiful morning here on the Knolltop!

I just got back from my walk and will head back out to the barn to finish up chores before church. I just thought I'd put in one of my columns this week since my mom gave me some great encouragement about it. She reads a lot and when she comments on one of my columns like she did this week, I listen. So for those of you who don't see my column on a regular basis, here it is.

Truth from the Trenches
By Melissa Hart
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”
Wondering about that statement I searched further to see what it meant. I know gossip is fun to listen to and especially repeat. I’ve had plenty of practice at both. But the part about going down to a man’s inmost parts is what baffled me.
When gossip goes down to a man’s inmost parts it means it is thoroughly digested and is carried about and lives on and on. To that I was amazed. So if gossip, which is repeating untruths, has that much affect on a person, think of how much more power there is in speaking truth?
Our words are powerful and have more of an effect on people than we realize.
Several years ago, when I was in elementary school, my father brought home a gift for me he had picked up at a convention. It wasn’t expensive or particularly pretty. It was a very simple gift but had an impact on my life like nothing else.
It was a small statue of the Peanut’s character, Peppermint Patty. And on the front of the statue it said “You are a rare gem.”
When he gave it to me, I proudly displayed it on my dresser where I would see it everyday. I could see everyday that my dad thought I was a rare gem. He never voiced those exact words to me, but that didn’t matter, he didn’t need to. As far as I was concerned there was a very special place in his heart for me and just for me with only my name on it because he thought I was a rare gem.
Those five words spoke to me every time I looked at that statue. They spoke goodness, kindness and value to me. I was worth something to someone who was equally as special to me.
You are surrounded by people you love and who love you, what kind of impact are you making on them? Are you speaking truth into their lives? Are you assuring them they are valuable and worth something to you? Are you letting them know they are one of a kind and were created with a special purpose?
There are people around you who you don’t particularly love but are simply friends, what kind of impact are you making on them? Are you repeating things you’ve heard about them? Or are you stopping the lies with truthful statements?
It’s so easy to listen to the negative and even easier to believe it. When you’ve heard how worthless you are for long enough you not only believe it, you start acting the part.
While we can live with the status quo and perpetuate the gossip and negativity, it takes effort and energy to raise the bar and be positive. It takes no concentration to slam someone but it takes clear vision to lift others up.
Speaking truth into others lives means we have to be intentional, direct and determined. Speaking lies requires nothing but a lazy mind and a reckless tongue.
What happens when we speak the truth into each others lives? We start believing in ourselves, we develop past our potential and the ripple effect around us can turn into a tidal wave affecting more than we may ever know.
Is it time to change your dance step? When you start dancing another direction the people around may start to stumble at first, but as they watch where you’re headed they will quickly follow and you’ll be amazed at the end result of taking one small step in a new direction.