The Power of Words

I want to share today a story, a true story, about the power of words. Whether spoken or written, words have power to inspire, to teach, and to encourage. Words also have power to belittle, to mock, and even to destroy. The words we use, whether directed toward ourselves or others create and set the lens through which we view and navigate the world.

Someone I admire very much once shared an experience with me about the power of words and how they lifted him in a season of loneliness.

Years earlier, this man had survived a trucking accident and has since struggled with pain in each step he takes. Further, he had recently lost a sibling to an unexpected and untimely death. One night, well after dark, he took a walk along a trail near his home. As he stopped to rest, he was surprised to find a rock perfectly positioned on the post where he had placed his hand.

Someone had written on the rock the words, “We are not powerless, we are powerful.” He smiled, put the rock in his pocket, and went home. A few weeks later, he returned and was surprised to find another rock in the same spot, this time with the words, “We will come back home.” Again, he smiled, and comforted by that thought, he placed the rock in his pocket and returned home. This same experience occurred three more times over the next several months. Another rock shared the thought, “What is grief if not love persevering?” Another, “Keep walking; I know you can!” And finally, one with the simple yet powerful word, “Faith.”

Now, to this day no one knows who left these rocks perfectly positioned in a place where this man would find them, nor does he even know if they were left for him. But the words on these rocks brought him power. And oh, was he grateful for those words. This man still has these rocks today, sitting in his home serving as a constant reminder of the power of words. They have lifted him, not for a moment, but for years.

May we use our words wisely, recognizing that words have power—even enough power to change the world.