by Anusha Atukorala
For over two decades now, I’ve used a small white kitchen bin. A friend who left Australia soon after we arrived, gifted me some of her possessions when she left the country and this little bin was one of them. I transferred my own little bin into our guest room and began to use hers ... until a few months ago, when I knew it was time to buy another. For one thing I hadn’t washed it often enough in the last few years, so it looked grubby even when I cleaned it. For another, I knew I’d have less frequent trips to transfer the bin bag to my wheelie bin if I had a larger kitchen bin.
And so I bought myself an inexpensive tall stainless steel
bin. It still gives me pleasure when I look at it. And yes, my trips to the
wheelie bin have lessened. The other day, I’d stuffed the bin too well, so when
I pulled the bag out of its home to transfer it to the yard, a large tear
ripped one side of the bag. I placed a fresh bag around it at once, but this
too, being of flimsy material, gave way. Oops! I soon found just the right
kind of bag that would cover them both, made of a tougher material.
That new plastic bag covered the torn bags with ease. And in spite of the heaviness of the load, it managed to keep all the rubbish inside. It was a picture to me as a writer of the special covering that wise words offer. Wholesome words are warm and affirming, covering the bad with good. Unfortunately words can also tear down, just as those fragile bags did. Yes, words are powerful.
The Words of Jesus are like a firm covering over us, shielding us
from the world’s vicissitudes. His Words soothe and comfort, teach and
instruct. We, as believers and writers have a special appreciation of the Word
of God - it’s what we lean on since it forms the base of our writing.
And of course the Living Word is the One to whom we turn to daily; the One who
makes our writing possible.
As I tossed the now firm bag (housing two weaker ones) inside
my wheelie bin, I pondered on the fact that we writers have the power to do
what that strong bag did. We can wrap a world gone mad with the love of the
Saviour. We can do it through our blogs and our books, our speaking ministries
and through every platform we use words to reach others. In addition, we can
also impact our world each day as we bring encouragement and hope to each other
and to those in our spheres of influence, using carefully chosen words to touch
lives and bring healing to those who need it.
Covid seems to have splattered a battered world with new
troubles, wobbles and squabbles. At the start of last year, it seemed like the
world was banding together to fight the virus. Sadly, eighteen months later, the
picture is vastly different. It seems like world has exploded in madness, in
ways that only tear down. The Christian worldview may be viewed by sceptics
with disdain, but Christian attitudes of grace and forgiveness, love that
counters hate, words that build rather than tear down might be just what a sad
old world needs right now.
I remember a time I was struggling through a tough season. To make matters worse, a lady I thought was reaching out to me, instead spoke harsh words of condemnation. I was badly hurt. Thankfully, that was not the end of the story. A few days later, three ladies I barely knew, spoke life-giving words over me, calling me beautiful. How did they know how badly I needed to hear their words? How grateful I was that the words of criticism which hurt me were overwritten by powerful words of affirmation spoken over me, three times over. I was healed. Completely.
That, my friends … is the power of words.
Shall we too then wrap warm encouraging words around this troubled
old world of ours? Shall we envelope it with language that affirms, words that
bandage torn tendons and splintered bones? Words that bring smiles to faces, words
that are gentle reponses to harsh criticism, hope to counter despair, peace to transform
anger, joy to overcome apathy and pain? We can do it in big ways through our
books and in smaller ways through our connections on social media or in person,
when we listen to another, when we reach out with a smile and the love of the
Saviour.
Let’s wrap our world in ...
wise, warm, wonderful,
winning, winsome words!
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24 ESV
Anusha’s been
on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer
programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full
time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God
tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered
from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus
and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and
through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as
she dances in the rain with Jesus.
Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her 2nd book Dancing in the Rain brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons. Her 3rd book, Sharing the Journey is a sequel to Enjoying the Journey and was released in March 2020.
Do stop by at her two websites to say G’day.
She'd love to connect with you.
