Words: Speaking Words of Affirmation

+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka

I am beginning a five week series on the power of words. We have all been impacted by the words of another. Some words have imbued us with confidence, while others have deflated us. We are created to be communicators. So, when there are words, how do we use them well? 

Let’s explore this over the next few weeks. I hope you’ll join me and add your thoughts to the conversation!

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My husband knows me well. He knows my love language. He knows what fills me. He knows I love words.

I may have had a significant birthday over the weekend.

Yes, I turned fifty. I realized I can’t call myself a girl anymore. And yes, I have done that on occasion. But, I digress . . .

My husband. He talked to me in April and said, “I have been thinking for the last year about how to celebrate your fiftieth. I thought about a party. What do you think?”

 

I thought it sounded fun, but what if no one came? May is such a crazy-busy month with the end of school, sporting events and the following end-of-season parties.

And graduations. Lots of graduations.

I confess, I endured a fearful few days wondering if anyone would have time to come celebrate . . . me. And was it self-centered to want to have a party to celebrate fifty years walking this earth?

 

We planned the party together. The time, date, who to invite. The food. Hubs sent out the electronic invitations to close friends, and I tried not to think too much about it.

We celebrated on Saturday. And my husband surprised me. Since he was the one who sent out the invites, he (obviously) controlled the wording.

I watched as people surreptitiously handed him something. A folder from this person, a rolled up piece of something from another person.

We talked. We ate. We laughed.

When he felt the time was right, he presented me with a gift.

 

Inside the pages of the scrapbook were words. Encouragement from friends. Fun memories. Pictures of times shared together.

And lots and lots of love.

My husband told me later he put that together because he knew it spoke my love language: Words of affirmation. Can I tell you that I about cried? I felt so loved.

Words are such powerful things. Sounds put together to convey meaning. For those whose love language is words of affirmation words have incredible strength in cementing who we are and what we believe about ourselves and our relationships.

 

He and I have learned to speak each other’s love languages (his is acts of service). And the scrapbook he created out of love for me filled in empty spaces in my heart.

That he went to the trouble to ask people to take time to write words, to share memories, to add pictures (and that they would do this!)? This spoke deeply to my heart.

When there are words on our hearts, in our minds, on our lips, we have incredible power. We can build another up with what slips from our mouths, or we can tear each other down. We can speak words of life (have you heard Toby Mac’s song?), or words of death.

 

We—each of us—have the power to use our words for good. To speak words of kindness and truth and encouragement over those who inhabit our spheres.

May we use them to breathe life into those around us, rather than to steal it.

What about you? What is your primary love language? What has been the most (or one of the most) impacting things spoken to you?

Click to tweet: Words are such powerful things

Today I’m linking up with Holly Barrett’s Testimony Tuesday  and Kelly Balarie’s #RaRaLinkUp