Have you ever heard children’s chant ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me’? Though these words may rhyme, they don’t ring true. When someone is so unkind that they call you names, we know it can feel like a dagger has been thrusted deep within your heart. It’s like you have been mortally wounded!
Words do hurt and can cause deep emotional scars that people then carry for a very long time, and even tragically for life. Words about our appearance, our mannerisms, mistakes we’ve made or even words that are said thoughtlessly entangle our lives in such a way that we may never be free of their impact. This is because unkind or cutting words are like missiles that can penetrate all the soul’s defences and blast a hole in our personality, creating damage that may take years to repair.
On the other hand, words that are encouraging can lift and cheer the soul in a way that is quite amazing.
The well-known Presbyterian Minister Charles Edward (CE) Macartney recounted that one day as he was walking down a hospital corridor, he spotted an elderly gentleman sitting on a seat alone. As CE Macartney walked closer, he recognised this old gentleman as a minister he had once known and had held in the highest regard. The man before him was but a shadow of his old self, and age had caught up with him and his health was failing him. For the old man, his church responsibilities and ministry days had concluded long ago.
CE Macartney stopped and sat by this elderly gentleman and asked him how he was doing. Expecting the old man to reply in some melancholy way that reflected a sad state of affairs, CE Macartney was surprised by the words that tumbled out of the old man’s mouth. The old man told CE Macartney that a woman had just stopped by and told him that a message he had preached many years ago had touched her heart and soul, and because of this, she had also became a follower of Jesus!
The glow that was on this old man’s face was something to behold recounts CE Macartney. It was an encounter that he never forgot!
How wonderful it was for this older gentleman to hear such encouraging words and how in turn his words had made a difference in someone else’s life.
As I sat with this story, it dawned on me—how wonderful would it be that if today, I could say something cheerful and encouraging to someone who I have the privilege of chatting to? How wonderful if you too had the opportunity to encourage and bless others like a ray of sunshine that will lighten their lives!
This is the heart the staff and I have for our students. We desire to speak words that encourage, guide and enable them to know the joy of being heartened. This is our desire, and we recognise that we do not always get it right. If we get it wrong, we endeavour to seek forgiveness and continue to desire to be the carriers of hopeful words. As we share these words of hope and life, our prayer is that these words will enable the students to draw closer to Jesus and they too will become authentic followers of Him.