The Power of an Email

Sometimes it amazes me how much power words have.  I mean we all know quotes like, "The pen is mightier than the sword."  And in the New Testament, James devotes the better part of Chapter 3 to the power of the tongue, comparing it to the tiny rudder on a huge ship that controls the direction the ship is heading. 

But sometimes it takes just a sentence in an email and the reaction it causes to be reminded of the power of words.

Last Monday, we were going about our day in the village.  It was a normal day... scrubbing laundry, doing school with the kids, making meals, sweeping the floor, changing diapers... all the regular things that fill up my day.  It was another gloomy day in Hamelengan (we had more than our fair share of them during our 6 weeks out there).  In the afternoon, when the clouds were too thick for Matt to keep working, he came upstairs to check email.  And that's when we got the email. 

It was a simple email.  It basically just said, "Would you be willing to come out on Friday, May 31?"  (Rather than the scheduled Monday, June 3.) 

Wow!  That simple question Made. My. Day!  At first, I thought it was too good to be true!  I had gone in milliseconds from feeling discouraged about yet another day of no sun and no power with a whole week ahead of me in the village, to being afraid to get too excited that this might actually happen and instead of a whole week more in the village, there just being 3 more full days out there!

Instead of wracking my brain, trying to come up with creative ideas for how to spend the remaining week with kids who were bored and fighting constantly, I instantly switched to thoughts of "How do I finish off this week of school with one less day?" and "Wow!  Now we can pick and choose dinners instead of just having do to follow the menu!"

Even Matt, who usually is never happy to leave early because he always has more work that could be done, was just as eager as I to go back home.  We climbed into bed that night elated.... instead of looking ahead all the long days, we just had a couple more days (granted, they would be filled with school, packing and inventorying supplies, and another work day for Matt in revising a chapter of Luke).

So, now I'm sitting here on a Saturday afternoon, comfortable and clean in my home.  The kids are playing with friends and guinea pigs.  Julianne is visiting our next door neighbors, whom she adores.  Matt and I are checking out everything on the internet that we've missed over the past 6 weeks (Facebook, baseball news, world news).  And it's even rainy and gloomy but that doesn't matter!  We're home!  And we even got to go watch all the 11th and 12th graders arrive at Banquet last night! 

But getting back to my original topic, words are powerful.  And they can be used for both good and bad.  As I was reminded this week and encouraged by a few simple words, I want to be more deliberate in how I use words, primarily with my children, as what I say and how I say it is very powerful.  If one email can change the course and feelings of a week, how much more the angry, sarcastic, hurtful or the encouraging, praising, uplifting words that I use throughout the course of every day with my five precious children!