Sometimes There Are No Words—and Sometimes There Are
Sometimes there are no words.
I came home after receiving a long overdue haircut. As my husband greeted me, he paused. He paused long enough to lean down as though he was going to say something wonderful about my haircut! I knew he noticed, and I was eager to hear what he had to say. Would he tell me it looked nice? Would he say I looked beautiful and that the beautician did a great job?
He stepped in even closer to touched my hair and a smile came across his face. That was it! I just knew it would be good and I began to smile back—eager to hear what he had to say. “What do you think?” I asked. “Can you tell I got one?” Do you like it?”
His response came quickly as he seemed as eager as I to impart the lovely words I just knew were coming! “Hey!” he said as he looked over that which was before him. “Finally, I’m not the only one with gray hair. You’ve caught up to me, dear!”
There were no words. I stared blankly back.
That same afternoon I turned on the radio and heard a professor at Cornell University who had something to say about the war in the Middle East. After talking about the horrific deeds done he said, “It’s exhilarating!” He said it alright cause I looked up the video and heard his words or lack of them when interviewed the next day. He actually had plenty to say, but sometimes, even in the midst of speaking words—there truly are no words—to equate to the emptiness one hears.
As a sign of hope, the same broadcaster mentioned a different educational institution which had reached out and was in stark contrast to the first one mentioned. The University of Steubenville invited all Jewish students to their campus assuring them they would be able to study in a place of safety. The announcement brought healing to all who heard.
“Interesting,” the broadcaster said. “In times when evil is lived out, evil voices begin to rise and become loud. Yet, others filled with Light, offer goodness and this rises with a bold response giving voice to Truth.”
Every so oft and ever so soft—there ARE words that give rise to goodness and those words carry healing and they bring light and love and grace and mercy and they build up and they do not tear down. And it becomes about the other and not about self—that’s how you know the difference between which voices—which words— to spend your time listening to.
“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). There ARE words worth listening to—His Word.
By the way—my husband did like my haircut—take my word for it—I eked it out of him! Amen.
