"Old Words"

Some old words you hardly hear,

But I can still remember,

Like bless your heart and hush yo mouth,

And please return to sender.

Like dial the phone and drop a dime,

And y’all come back, you hear.

I’m fixin’ and directly to,

I’ll carry y’all, ‘cause home’s not near.

Thank you, ma’am, and thank you, sir,

And I gotta light a shuck,

They started slow and tapered off,

Without bad I’d have no luck.

Mama’s threat when we talked bad,

Was I’ll wash your mouth with soap,

She said go out and cut a switch,

She’d spare us was our hope.

Make hay while the sun shines,

But learn to hold your horses,

‘Cause all hat and no cattle,

No cowboy cred endorses.

Dad was plumb tired and tuckered,

Said aim small, you’ll miss small,

Don’t count those chicks before they hatch,

We’ve no dog in their fight at all.

You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’,

So mind your P’s and Q’s,

Don’t be full of hooey,

Or have a too-short fuse.

Lawd, have mercy, when it hits the fan,

It can happen any day,

Work like it all depends on you,

But don’t forget to pray.

And on and on and on they go,

And when they come to mind,

They butter well my biscuits,

We won’t leave them behind.

“Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” (Proverbs 18:20-21, NLT)

The scriptures emphasize the power of the tongue. Words become mental scripts that impact our daily behavior. Sometimes these scripts are truthful and therefore healthy. But sometimes they are poisonous lies that shape us negatively. Words ultimately can minister life or death, and we should be proactively seeking to be life-speakers. Words are seeds planted into the lives of others that produce a harvest- for better or for worse. Speak life!

Lord, help us speak healthy, truthful words, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Owen, cowhorsegallery.com, used by permission. Thanks, and God bless.