Have you ever been going along having your day when one person comes along and with one quick conversation just casually knocks the air right out of you? Perhaps they’re having a bad day and can’t keep it to themselves. Perhaps they don’t realize they affect you more than they do. Whatever the reason, words can hurt. How do you rise above that? How do you take a deep breath and move on without obsessing and being down? I don’t have that answer; I know with prayer and patience and counting blessings you’re off to a good start. But an even more important question is how do you make sure you don’t do that to someone else? I want to make sure my words don’t punch someone in the gut. I want to know that after I cross someone’s path, I’ve actually been a blessing to them, boosting them up, that I haven’t been an obstacle that only brought them down. As a child, I had to memorize a verse that has stuck with me throughout my life, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.” My mom taught us to practice this with each other, even when the message we had to say wasn’t an uplifting one. We may have nothing nice to say, but if we need to say something, we better make sure it’s delivered with kindness. Whether I’m talking to an adult or to one of my own children, may I speak to them with respect and kindness. My behavior and words are not only a reflection of who I am, but also of Him who expects me to be reflecting His light.
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