I love, love written words
The song and dance
Shield and lance
Written words are powerful
Spoken ones scare me
Spoken words creep out unknown
Pop out fast, can’t return
Spoken words are Shari when her
guard
is
down
Spoken words are funny things
Come out quirky, trailing strings
or straggle into mishmash
Brace yourself before the crash
Spoken words are funny
Written words are careful things
Check before you drop the pebble
Hold
it
so
Spoken words, the ripples flow before you know you’ve let it go
And their impact?
Double
Treble
Spoken words are risky
Standing here before these ladies
Three whole months of Sundays
Teaching days, talking days, learning to let go days
Here I am unguarded,
Shy and small of soul
So many layers
stripped away
since last I held this role
Written words I can control
Edit, copy, paste and mold
Patch them up and make them whole
Spoken words are broken
Great is His grace to me
Father love that never stops
Pruning me, kicking props
Catching me each time I fall
Strength-through-weakness is His goal
Spoken words will heal me
Beautiful, Shari. I know exactly what you’re saying.
I admire your ability to craft words well.
I also care deeply about words. For me preaching has been a journey in surrender. To let those words go, each Sunday I speak, all 5,000 of them, marching off to do battle with dismay and doubt and the devil, and finding some of them went astray and wrought more dismay or doubt… this is not easy. And I repent and vow to do better. Until the next Sunday when another cascade of words pours forth.
I regret the points that I overlook them in my notes. I mourn the illustrations that come out as mishmash. I walk to my seat thinking, “I could have said that so much better if I could have written it.”
(And of course, I am editing this comment before I launch it into the blogosphere. Because words matter.)
The Holy Spirit is the best editor of spoken words. But as necessary with all editors, give yourself some time to get used to His work. Only those who dare to offer broken words will experience His gracious editing.
Love these beautiful words! Love you more and am so glad to be in your SS class (distracted though I may look).
This is brilliant and beautiful! Thank-you. I can identify…
Hi Shari,
From one writer to another (and another word lover)…this is powerful, true, and sobering. I love your rhythm!