Devotional Gems by Jolene: Stop SpeakingRecklessly

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Stop SpeakingRecklessly

STOP SPEAKING RECKLESSLY

Proverbs 12:18: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Young Thomas Edison brought a note home from school. His mother read, “Your son is mentally ill. We won’t let him come to school anymore.” Her eyes filled with tears. Her shaking hands creased a fold in the paper.

“What did it say?” Tom asked.

Clearing her throat, she reopened the folded paper. She pretended to read, “Your son is a genius. This school is too small for him and doesn’t have enough good teachers for training him. Please teach him yourself.”

Tom smiled. His mother gathered all the books she could find. She enlisted help from smart people. She burned every candle to the wick. Mrs. Edison homeschooled her son with determined passion.

This young boy was free to explore nature. His science projects never had rules. Most of his instructors weren’t even human! Obviously, he blossomed and learned a great deal.

Thomas Edison taught us to keep trying through failure. Every failure teaches something! It only takes one success for victory. With that mindset, Thomas Edison shone himself to be one of the greatest inventors in history.

But what if Thomas’ mother had read him that note from school? A reckless teacher didn’t want Thomas in the classroom! Was he too curious? Was he too impetuous? Did he ask questions for which the teacher had no answer? Reckless words can never be forgotten.

Reckless words wreck lives. They do more damage than lying, cheating or stealing. One can always return money. Not surprisingly, money covers a lot of offences.

But reckless words can scar someone for life.

Thank God that Mrs. Edison chose wise words to speak in young Thomas’ life! She created an environment where her son could grow to his full potential. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb!

Years after her death, Thomas found that note. As one of the world’s greatest inventors, Thomas discovered the one thing that cut him to his core.

Take Home Nugget

Thomas felt the burden his mother secretly carried. He acknowledged the torch she carried for him to succeed. That torch was all Thomas ever saw.

Recording in his personal diary, Thomas carefully penned, “Thomas Alva Edison was an addled child that, by a hero mother, became the genius of the century.”

I looked up the word addled. It means confused, muddled, bewildered, perplexed, rotten, putrid, decayed, rancid, among other awful synonyms. Let us all think carefully before we say hurtful words recklessly. Let us take Thomas’ message seriously and speak only words that affirm, encourage or heal.