“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” (Proverbs 12:25 NIV)
“Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” (Proverbs 16:24 NLT)
What echoes have I left in others’ lives?
Have I left a sticky mark of kind words — a bit of verbal honey that encourages someone who wants to quit or helps someone realize they are not invisible?
It’s good — wise, even — to look back and evaluate our words and actions. It’s also good and wise to look ahead and figure out how we want to change.
But the words we speak today — now — will be echoes in someone’s life tomorrow … and the day after that … and the day after that.
Our words don’t have to be elaborate. They don’t have to be well-thought-out or polished.
Kind words.
Words that lift the anxiety weighing down someone’s else’s heart.
Words that refresh someone’s spirit, their very soul, like a sweet cup of cool water.
In Your Words: Whose words of kindness echo in your life today?
Comments 31
Gwynly says nice things to me all the time. His mother blessed me with words as well. In fact, the last words she uttered before she lost her long battle with breast cancer were, “I love you, Keli.” They meant more to me than words can express.
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I’ve heard you tell the story of your mother-in-law before … and it always touches my heart so. Her words to you are such a treasure.
Your words & encouragement echo often!
Love you, lady!
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And I love you right back, Wendy.
I am thankful for our friendship.
My honey is one of the people who leaves the most echoes of kindness in my life and heart. My friend, Jennifer, is another. She speaks truth, but it’s always with grace and gentleness. A third person would be you, my friend. Timely words, that are like a healing salve over uncertainties and doubts echo back in my mind days and weeks after you speak them. Thanks.
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You put a smile on my face — I love how you said, “My honey is one of the people who leaves the most echoes of kindness in my life and heart.”
🙂
I’m SOOOOOOOOOOOO self absorbed, I was all “Awww, Jeanne, you’re so sweet…” Then I read “grace and gentleness” and thought “Huh, she has more than one Jennifer in her life. That’s nice.”
😉
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Grace and gentleness applies to you too.
And a wicked sense of humor.
🙂
I agree with Beth, Jennifer! 😉
I love how perfectly this photo also echoes beauty. You are someone sensitively gifted in depositing/investing meaningful words that grow instead of fade. May God supply and nourish more inspired words to you and through you every day.
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This photo seemed so perfect for this quote … I loved how they “fit.”
🙂
Words from the Velveteen Rabbit’s mouth offered healing salve.
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We all need our Velveteen Rabbits, Brill.
🙂
My parents…they say just what I need to hear just when I need to hear it.
And the MBT team. Oh, how I appreciate the words spoken by this group of amazing women. And my CP, Lindsay, and several other very close friends.
It’s amazing how much impact words can have–even just the right verse shared at the right time.
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“A word aptly spoken …” Proverbs 25:11
I can live a couple of months off the kind words or encouraging words of another. I love the word picture of sticky words!
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🙂
Thanks, Renee.
Remember the scene in “Babe” when the farmer says “That’ll do , Pig, that’ll do.”?
SO MUCH was said in those 5 words.
We often forget that grown-ups are still children inside,and that child is waiting for a word of praise or encouragement. A smile to a cashier or clerk means ALOT. Trust me.
Very rarely is kindness met with opposition. And if it is, it’s because someone is breaking inside. I try to leave people with a smile. If I can’t, then I do my best to leave them with a kind word.
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I knew I liked you, Jennifer. For lots of reasons.
Here’s another one.
I echo Wendy’s sentiment – your kind words echo often, my Friend. Hugs!
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Thank you, Donna.
Your words refresh me often.
My best friend – actually she’s like a dear sister – is continually speaking words that encourage and bless me. I just pray my words echo in her life the same way hers echo in mine.
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Ah, the blessings of friends.
My husband and my mom are two of my biggest cheerleaders. Plus my core groups of friends echo kindness on a regular basis.
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It is wonderful when a husband is a cheerleader, isn’t it?
The photo is perfect for your blog…as always. I’m so thankful to have a host of cheerleaders around me (I think I see you peeking out from behind Dee).
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I have to say, I love the photo I found for today. Sometimes finding just the right photo is a challenge … today’s was like, “Aha! There you are.”
Beautiful post today, Beth! This week has been challenging with the Genesis submission deadline. I have had such encouraging friends, a few are: Cynthia Ruchti, Lisa Jordan, Colleen Coble, You, Laurie Tomlinson, and lots of others.
We all need these kinds of echoes in our lives.
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I recognize some of those names … encouragers all.
As are you.
I am a music teacher and my school is putting on a production of Peter Pan, that is not a musical. But the director decided she would like some music added. I (impulsively) offered to compose the music for the production. This week I shared the music with the director and she loved it. The words she said still echo in my heart, “It’s perfect. They will pull the production together beautifully.”
I was very nervous about laying myself out there, just like our writing for our novels, putting my music out there for someone else to hear was huge, but her words put me at ease.
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How wonderful that you were brave enough to offer your talents to the director, Melissa! Brava!!