Today I was reminded about the power of words. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21, NIV. Several months ago my oldest son was diagnosed with an articulation disorder and it completely broke my heart. As a parent, when your children are not flourishing or developing as they should, it is impossible not to take it personally and feel as if you have failed them in some capacity. For me, this recent diagnosis has proved no different.
There is almost a six-year age gap between him and my oldest daughter. When he was born she was elated and was instantaneously attached to him and he to her. She pretty much did everything for him including communicating and speaking on his behalf. As a result, he really did not begin articulating himself until he was around 4 years old. I was assured that this was normal behavior and there was no cause for alarm.
Now that my son is approaching 7 and can communicate well and has an extensive vocabulary, one outside of our family would have a hard time understanding what he is saying. Hence the articulation disorder. He attends speech therapy twice a week and he is constantly reminded of his “disorder.” Disorder is defined as a state of confusion, meaning that something is awry, chaotic, or out of place. None of these things appropriately define my son. But today, my Beloved placed something on my heart and reminded me that there is power in our words. As my children and I were driving my son began reciting just a series of words and phrases that our Beloved placed on his heart and he was so committed and worked so hard to articulate each word accurately and precisely. It was at that moment I was reminded that our words have the ability to bring life or destroy, to uplift or tear down, and I want to speak life into my son. My son is a child of the King, the Almighty, the Beginning and the End and only what He says about my precious baby matters.
My Beloved reminded me that every day I pray over and encourage women who are in marital crisis to focus not on what anyone says but rather on what He says, and my situation is no different. My Beloved can perform the impossible 🙂 He placed it on my heart that instead of spending our days reciting words and phrases with a speech therapist, that we need to spend more time reciting His word aloud so that my son can be reminded that he “can do all things through Christ who strengthens…” Philippians 4:13 and that he can “call on the Lord in my distress and He answers me” Psalm 120:1 and that the “Lord’s right hand has done mighty things.” Psalm 118:16. In reciting His words and His promises my son will not only be strengthened physically, spiritually, and emotionally, but he will be able to clearly articulate and boldly proclaim the goodness and grace of the Almighty! PTL!!
Philippians 4:13, NIV “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Psalm 120:1, NIV “I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.”
Psalm 118:16, NIV “The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”