by Nancy Tupper Ling | nancytupperling.com
Like arrows flung into a battle, someone’s quick-tempered aim may leave us wounded or indignant. Even the absence of words—being “ghosted”—can cause damage. As poet Pearl Strachan Hurd said: “Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.”
Long before Hurd, God emphasized the power of the word. In both the Old and New Testament, we discover sage advice, such as “Wise words bring many benefits” (Proverbs 12:14) and “God spoke the world into being by the power of His words (Hebrews 11:3). God reminds us that hope and promise can also flow from the words we share, and healing may follow.
Playing with Words
As a children’s author and poet, I’m drawn to words. I’m forever grateful that the love of books was a big part of my childhood and playing with words seemed fun, like fitting a jigsaw puzzle together. In Peter H. Reynold’s picture book, The Word Collector, his character, Jerome, feels the same way. He loves silly words and dreamy words and powerful words. Similarly, I’ve learned that words bring healing in many ways. A kind word can be a gift.
A reassuring word can bring encouragement to a friend. A caring word can be a balm in a difficult situation.
Healing from Longing
Today I have two grown daughters. Some days I pinch myself when I think about this fact. For many years the biblical story of Hannah and her struggle with infertility was my own. At first when my husband and I had trouble conceiving a child, we traveled, ballroom danced, and took evening classes. Eventually, our longing became unbearable. Often, I cried out to God: “Didn’t You say children are a blessing?!”
In the midst of this heartache, I turned to my words. As poem after poem poured onto the page, healing gradually followed. One day as I lay prostrate on the floor, I surrendered our future family to Him.
In return, I had one request: “Lord, even if I never get pregnant, could just one poem of mine be published?”
God graciously answered. In between rejections, my first poem was accepted. Others followed, and children did, too. My first poetry collection, Laughter in My Tent, spoke to my infertility experience through words.
By working through my anguish I realized God had been listening all along. For some, catharsis comes through prayer or journaling or art or music. For me, healing also came through poetry as it did for King David.
Day-to-Day Healing
If we agree that words have the power to heal or hurt, how can we make an effort daily to “spread love everywhere you go” (Mother Teresa)? I’m not always successful, but I try to stay alert to the needs of those around me. For ten years I worked as the Outreach Librarian at a local library. I learned that the simplest note, call or text could brighten someone’s day. Sounds easy, but I needed to be intentional about this task. Writing a letter and putting it in one of my patron’s mailboxes brought joy, especially because she lived alone. Likewise, a sticky note left inside a cabinet or on a car dashboard might be the encouragement my family member needed for their day. Of course, providing actual nourishment is important too. That said I include a verse or a humorous card when I bring a meal.
Healing through Grief
On occasion I’ve also discovered forgotten words—words from someone who has passed away. These treasures have brought healing in my grief. The year after my father’s death, I found a Post-It from him. It said: “Planted Daffodils Today. Signed, Gilroy Was Here!”
This felt like a heavenly hug. Not only did it remind me of his servant’s heart, but I could hear Dad’s humor as well. The right words at the right time say, “I see you. You are beloved.”
Words Bring Forgiveness
The other day I noticed a card on my youngest daughter’s prayer wall. Tucked among her praises and supplications, it was the one I’d written during her junior year of high school. Neither of us remembered the argument that precipitated my note, but it has a place on her wall after all these years. My words aren’t profound, however they reassure her that I see how God is using her mightily. Those words created a path to forgiveness at a time when tensions ran high. Likewise, when someone reaches out to us to make amends, even when it seems impossible, we know nothing is impossible with God.
Words Bring Hope
One of my favorite Jewish theologians, Abraham Herschel, understood that “Speech has power. Words do not fade. What starts out as a sound, ends in a deed.” Truly, it’s our mission to remain alert and observe where we might offer hope to others through our prayers and our words.
I often wonder how we might change the state of our on-edge world if we woke up every day and prayed for our words to be both hopeful and uplifting? Perhaps it starts with knowing the healing power of God’s Word and our own.
