Speak Life

I am such a words person. If you offer me words of affirmation, you are definitely speaking my love language. I'm an overuser of "I love you". I want people to overuse it with me. Plenty of times I've had a bad day and someone will speak words of encouragement to me and instantly I am lifted. In the same way that words can easily fracture our self esteem and hurt our hearts, they can also heal and uplift.



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The first couple of times I heard the Speak Life song by Toby Mac, I thought it was a little cheesy. Catchy, but cheesy. But right now, the words seem appropriate. Not only because of Robin Williams. But he is a part of my thought process too. Depression is real. It's serious. I've talked before about my mama's own struggle with addiction after addiction and the pits filled with depression in between. My worst fear has been getting a call that she's committed suicide. I have an ex-boyfriend who did commit suicide. I have friends who have told me they wanted to commit suicide. A man from my church committed suicide just a few short weeks ago.

 

Everyday people feel worthless. They feel unloved and alone. They don't know how they can survive the darkness they feel.  They become consumed with negative thoughts. It becomes too hard/to scary/too overwhelming to ask for help. And honestly, some days we are too wrapped up in ourselves to put ourselves in everyone else's shoes. But speaking life is a powerful thing. I'm certainly not a counselor, and I've never personally struggled with  a lot of these feelings, but I feel like it has to be said. I need the reminder myself to stop thinking so inwardly.

 

I think about a time when I felt lifeless. The people who used their words to comfort me became the people who helped heal me. And I thank God so much for sending me those people. I will never forget their words, their effort and how much it meant to me. It might not be enough to snap someone out of their sadness, but it matters. Loving people like Jesus does is not an easy task. I constantly have to remind myself that it's not my place to judge people's struggles, behaviors or stories. It's just my job to love them and be kind to them - no matter what. My good words have the ability to influence someone's heart, and that matters in this world.