Sandy was a very pretty 14-year-old eighth grade girl with long, reddish-brown hair. Her teacher had sent her down to see me because she seemed to be upset about something and maybe needed to talk to someone. She was kind of quiet at first, but then admitted she was really upset because she felt people were looking at her, laughing at her, because of the way she looked. I looked at her, kind of questioningly, and told her that I didn’t understand. She slowly pulled her hair back behind her head, as if to expose a painful secret. I looked at a pretty girl. I told her that I still don’t get it, I don’t understand. She started to sob and said, “Look, my ears are so big”.
I thought back to when my brother and I were just scrawny little kids. Because our faces were so thin, our ears and noses seem to stick out more. My dad used to say that we looked like taxicabs with the doors open. In time, of course, our faces grew to fit our ears just fine. I kind of wondered if something similar had happened to Sandy.
Sometimes we don’t realize the impact of our words. Whether we use words, jokingly, angrily, viciously or vengefully, purposefully or accidentally once the word is out of our mouth it can have lasting effects on someone, like Sandy, a family member, co-worker, acquaintance, etc.
Years ago, there was a song we taught little kids in church that said to be careful little tongue what you say, for the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little tongue what you say.
James 3:7-8 “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
It’s something to think about. Whether we use a gun or tongue, we are responsible for the damage it can do. Use words carefully. God’s listening.