To harm or to heal?

I was reminded of something pretty powerful today.... the power of our words.

As I mentioned yesterday, Scott adjusted his schedule this week to take today off, so that I could enjoy the boys' parties at school. In between parties, we took "the littles" (Isaac and Ellie) and ran a couple of errands. One = Menards.

And there.... it happened. Right in the middle of the hardware section. Scott was in one aisle with the kids and the "car cart", and I went to the next aisle over to look for a drawer-mechanism-thingy (that's my very best Menards lingo, right there!)

Now, you need to know that one of our boys' favorite things in the world right now is to get Ellie to mimic them.... and animal noises are at the top of their list. Isaac was making a lovely rooster noise, and Ellie was, indeed, following his lead like a champ.

I was one aisle over from my precious little cock-a-doodle-dooing roosters (who were NOT being hideous.... you just gotta trust me on that one)..... with one other man.

One other man who proceeded to say, certainly loud enough for anyone around to hear, and NOT under his breath:

"AHH! Make those kids SHUT UP!"

I paused.... breathed in.... looked at him.... and gently said, "You mean MY kids?"

He looked me straight in the eye and said, "YES! Make YOUR kids SHUT UP!"

I paused again.... breathed in again.... and GENTLY said, "Well, Merry Christmas to you, too...." and turned and walked the other direction.

Now, God certainly redeemed the Menards trip for me.... some of the SWEETEST people cooed and talked to Ellie in the cart later in the visit (and one precious older guy even leaned over, grinned, and said to her, "Hey! Whatcha getting me for Christmas, sweetie?" She laughed!) and I was reminded that it's probably about 10:1.... the number of people in public who are absolutely sweet to my kids vs. the one j-e-r-k (oops.... did I really just SAY that?)

So, why is it that this guy's comments BURNED me so much?

While I can psychoanalyze him pretty quickly.... sum up in my mind that he is having a miserable day or maybe even a miserable season of life....

It was a great reminder for me.

MY words have power. The power to harm or heal. The power to make a stranger's day better or to cause grief. I want to be FULL of "words of life" and THAT IS A CHOICE!

On the flip side.... today reminded me of some of THE most powerful words a stranger has ever said to me. Aaron was about 2 1/2 and was having a TOTAL meltdown in the check out lane at Walmart. He was TICKED because I hadn't gotten him the free cookie at the bakery.... he hadn't earned it because he had made some pretty rotten choices throughout the store.... and he was TICKED at me for following thru on my word and not getting him the sugar cookie.

As I was stressed out and barely surviving the check-out lane, I noticed an older lady glancing at me continually. I remember thinking to myself, "I can only imagine what she is thinking of me in the middle of my child's all-out tantrum right now!" However, she breathed life into me a moment later....

She looked me straight in the eye and said, "Hang in there, honey. Your consistency will pay off. It is ALL worth it. My kids are all grown now and are great kids. I'm SO glad that I was consistent even when it was hard."

I cried happy tears that day.

Powerful words. Words of life.

May I CHOOSE to be a life giver. EVEN WHEN I feel like someone else has hit me in the gut.