As we drove down the street I asked my daughter a question.
silence
I asked again.
silence
I touched her arm.
she just about leapt from her skin!
Ah, the power of good headphones!
Apparently she was listening to songs, trying to locate one for an English class assignment. As we discussed the assignment, I discovered that she was looking for a song that was full of emotion.
“Try this one,” I told her, “it is full of emotion.”
The song was one that I had kept opened on my laptop for days, plugging my (inferior) headphones and allowing it to play while I wrote, surfed and networked. Despite not hearing the lyrics, the story, it was a song that drew me in the first time I had heard it.
As I later sat, fingers to the keyboard, I plugged in again to hear fingers on keys. I realized a profound, but simple reminder in it’s repeated words …
“say something,
I’m giving up on you
I’ll be the one,
if you want me to
anywhere
I would have followed you
say something“
It is as though the darkened words are the words said out loud, with lips and tongue,
and the italicized ones are the ones said with heart and soul.
I am one who, generally, believes in the economy of words … spoken words. I love to listen, but I especially love to listen to the heart of the speaker rather than just chatterbox talk.
This week I got to spend a few (too few) hours with a woman whose heart I love, and she loves mine. When we are together, we anoint each other with words that are affirming, caring, honest, and full of love. We spend so little time together, that when we have such an opportunity we do not waste it on small talk. We dig right in to each others life.
It would not be the same reunion if, when we were together, we utilized the economy of words. Our words, spoken from our lips, strengthen and encourage each other … they feed us, as no food could ever do.
We live in a fallen world. One of discouragements, illnesses, failures and heartaches. Our words to those around us can be like medicated ointment on the scars covering our souls.
Words of love, encouragement, affirmation, truth and hope can be the glue that keeps someone from giving up.
“It’s your heart, not the dictionary,
that gives meaning to your words …
Words are powerful;
take them seriously.
Words can be your salvation.”
Matthew 12:35-37
This is such a beautiful song. My 3 year old loves it. I wonder why we are drawn to songs that make us feel so sad 😦
It truly is beautiful! I’ve wondered about the sad song thing too … maybe it gives us permission to feel sad? Have a great day!
Carole
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