Vowels & Consonants

Words are amazing. Through books, they have the ability to take us places we could never go in real life. They can make us laugh. They can make us cry. They can inform us. They can help us get to know each other. They can help us express ourselves. They are wonderful. They are powerful.

And, like any powerful tool, if wrongly used, words can be harmful. When mishandled, they can be down right destructive. They can bring down a person's career. Ruin a reputation. Destroy relationships. They can cause deep wounds that take a lifetime to heal. They can damage a person's self confidence, self image. They can alter lives, families, communities, governments. 

I wish I could sit here and tell you that I am always careful with these powerful, life-changing elements in my hands. I'm just not. Some days, I'm like the little kid running around with scissors in her hands, being completely ignorant to the harm I could cause. Other times, I don't effectively use them to be the balm for someone's discouragement. And, then sometimes, I fumble trying to find the right one when really I should use none at all. 

God, help me as I start this new day with a fresh batch of vowels and consonants. They are a sword on my lips.