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“The words people say to us not only have shelf life but have the ability to shape life.”

A thought by Bob Goff, (2012-05-01) from his book, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (p. 88). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

For half of my life at home our family traveled all over the US and Canada and held in churches meetings for them from Wednesday through two Sundays.  Dad would preach every night and Sunday morning and we as a family would sing.  I started singing in front of people when I was five.  That’s what I did.  I sang. 

Well when I was a sophomore we moved to Owosso, Michigan where I went to Owosso High School.  And I tried out for the choir.  I was a tenor and every choir needed tenors and because of my experience in singing I was chosen for the top choir.  We had three different choirs in that school. 

Now even though I had been singing for at least 10 years dad thought it would be a good thing if I would take voice lessons.  So I started taking lessons from Mr. Gilbert who was the choir director for all of the choirs there at Owosso High.  He was unbelievable.  He was the most influential man in my life outside of my father.

I remember my first voice lesson.  Here I was an experienced singer.  I had sung all over the US and Canada.  I had been on radio and TV and we even had a record.  I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing there but I started singing the song I was to sing.  I sang the first page then he had me go back to the first line and then back to the first word and Mr. Gilbert started teaching me from the beginning how to sing. 

Now Mr. Gilbert believed in me but he never told me until one day at the end of the year.  I had gone to the regional Solo and Ensemble Festival.  I was one of busload from our school but I sang and did my best.  After a full day of competition all of the judges handed in their forms and we were all waiting for the results.  We were all walking out to the bus to go home and Mr. Gilbert came up to me and put his arm around me and told me that I had been voted the Outstanding Soloist of the Festival and with deep emotion he told me that he was very proud of me.  That was the first compliment he had ever given me but it has been with me all of my life. 

Words are so powerful and those words were a part of shaping me.  I know some of you have had someone say something that has shaped you in a positive way but others of you have words said to you that have shaped you in a negative way. You were verbally abused and that pain has stayed with you and shaped you even today.  Hurting people hurt people but whole people lift up people. 

So how are your words shaping those around you?

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