By Frank Cushman Brothers, words are an important part of our daily lives, so much so, that we have a tendency to forget the good or the harm they may do to those around us, as well as to ourselves. Kind words beget kindness. Harsh words wound deeply, bring unto ourselves and others pain and heartache. Often the speaker of harsh words suffers more because he or she realizes, too late, the bitter truth of an old saying: "Harsh words you can't recall, better not to say such words at all." There is a multitude of truth in this little rhyme. Words have started wars large and small. From a person to person conflict to world wide conflicts. All to the sorrows of those involved. From the time we could understand the first words spoken to us until we draw that last breath, words spoken and written cast their shadow over our every action. Jesus spoke kindly when He admonished us "to love me another as I have loved you." There is no stronger an expression through words than to turn to your loved ones and say, "I love you." Three little words, eight letters from out of the alphabet with the power to set many a wrong aright. The man who spoke before President Lincoln, at Gettysburg Battlefield, talked for nearly two hours. Few people know what he talked about. Lincoln used 269 words. Most of us have at least read his speech. Some of us memorized: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation... .and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth." These are words that apply today as strongly as they did when uttered by the Great Emancipator. Each of us has had the misfortune of having spoken words that we wished, with all our heart we had never spoken. Do not carry these words around in your "guilt bag." rather cast them out and firmly resolve to never utter them gain. A daunting task, it can be done. We can master words for the good of the world and ourselves. Words must never master us. Words are good and faithful servants. It is our responsibility to keep them in a right and proper marching order. What words have to say is our responsibility. Therefore, let us resolve that any words spoken or written by us will make for a better world for their having been spoken or written. twenty-first century www.seattlemasons.org | |||||||||||||||
