Several years ago there was a lady in our church who was a "Color Me Beautiful" representative who used me as a model to show off her wares at one of our "Ladies" meetings. "Color Me Beautiful" is a company who specializes in finding just the right colors for you, putting you into one of four categories. You could be a summer, spring, fall or winter according to several criteria. I loved being the "model" as she applied just the right makeup to enhance my natural coloring. She had several colors of cloths that she wrapped around my neck, and low and behold, colors mattered. Some gave me an odd coloring not at all flattering, while others seemed to light up my face. Through trial and error, it was determined that I was a "winter". Noting my "season", I went on my way after thoroughly enjoying my evening.
Several months later, as I came out of church feeling quite spiffy in a new dress that I had gotten for the spring, I was accosted by a very angry woman. It was my "Color Me Beautiful" consultant. With a tone like I had committed a crime against nature, she told me through clinched teeth that I was a "winter" not a "spring" and the color of my new dress was definitely wrong on me. After her huffy, not so "Beautiful", departure, I smoothed my "spring" colored dress, flung my "winter" colored head back and laughed. As the only one who had witnessed this confrontation and my inappropriate, even scary laugh, my ten year old daughter asked "Why are you laughing, didn't that make you mad? That lady was so mean to you! While still full out laughing, teeth showing and mouth gaping, I calmly explained "No Honey, it didn't make me mad, you just have to laugh at something so silly."
I laughed but let me just say those words rang in my ears every time I looked in my closet and was tempted to wear that dress again. In fact, someone got a great bargain when they bought that very gently used, beautiful, peach colored dress in my garage sale!
Why! Because words do matter!
I am doing a study on the power of our words and I find that the bible has a lot to say about the words that pass our lips. My example above caused little damage but all of us can remember words that did hurt so bad that we still feel the sting. Fortunately there has been words that lifted us and gave us courage to do great things. I want to encourage with my words, how about you?
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (Proverbs 25:11 NIV84)
Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. (Proverbs 11:22 NIV84) JUST SAYING! (last two words mine)
Now, back to that laugh, I just figured out where I heard it before. It came from a green faced witch, (evidently wearing the wrong color), who was chasing Toto with her broom! Scary!
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