While student at Denver Seminary (many years ago), then president Dr. Vernon Grounds, made an indelible impression upon this young, naïve seminarian.  Dr. Grounds went out of his way to greet each student he encountered with a fresh word of encouragement and special value.  This was his way, and in his company, not only did I feel like the most important person on campus, I also knew that he believed God had great plans for my life.

There was, on the other hand, a professor who didn’t particularly care for me, and who made it very clear that he considered me nothing more than an “average” student who, in his opinion, would never amount to anything.  Which of the two do you think stirred life and hope into my spirit, and which crushed my spirit?  I wish I could say that Dr. Grounds’ life-giving words had more impact on me than the latter, but the reality is that a crushed spirit is very hard to repair.

Children and youth are easily damaged and crushed in spirit by our words.  Learning to speak wisely words of life is a life long task, which the wise men of old took quite seriously.  They understood too well the power of the tongue to destroy or to heal – to bless or to curse. Grandparents, it is imperative that we understand equally well the healing power of wholesome words wisely spoken.  May we choose the words we speak to our children and grandchildren well for their sake and ours. 

GRANDPAUSE: “The fitness of our speech and its freshness are two factors that determine what gifts of life and love we bring to others by our words.” – David A. Hubbard