What Did YOU Say?

A careless word may kindle strife.

A cruel word may wreck a life.
A timely word may level stress.
A loving word may heal and bless.

I was in a conversation the other day with a couple of other folks. Two of them started to speak and as they spoke the tone began to elevate and before you know it, they weren't talking, they were yelling! Suddenly, they must have tired out because they looked to me for an opinion. It was in that moment that I realized the power of the words we speak. As they were discussing in an amplified way, I wanted so bad to jump in and join them. (It was like sitting at Chili's for dinner and getting a dessert with three spoons...it’s hard to sit there and let two spoons get all the cake!) But I was practicing my "swift to listen, slow to speak" lifestyle.

When I finally did speak, not only did I have something to say but also I was able to completely turn down the volume of the entire exchange with words. 

What comes out of our mouths is simply a reflection of what's growing in our hearts.

Today, I encourage you to take this little poem and speak it a few times before you get into the heat of your day. A soft word can turn away wrath. The entire day can be charted out by what you say. This is YOUR day to have a timely word and a loving word for those that are listening to you.