Calling Him Out

In the movie Courageous, the main theme is the important roles that fathers play in the home and lives of their children.  One of the main quotes was the desire of a father to  "Call out the man in my son".  This was a powerful reminder that the power of life and death is in the tongue or in the words we use. Our words can be used as a blessing or can cause great harm.  Words are powerful! 

Now "calling out the man in my son" is truly a father's role.  No one can fill the gap of a father's role in a son's life.  But as mothers, our words and tone hold great importance also.  A mother's voice has the power to settle jangled nerves and maybe even reach through the fog of a coma to bring a brain-injured patient back to consciousness, according to a pair of new experiments.  Mom's voice is surely special.

I clearly remember over 20 years ago when I had my first child.  I came home from the hospital on a weekend.  My mother lived nearby, but worked double shifts on weekends.  She would call me each day after each shift.  Although I was fine all day and was a grown woman, just hearing her voice made my cry.  Hormonal, I know, but it was simply the power of her voice that set off such deep emotions.

Our words and tone are so important.  What is the normal tone of voice in our daily life?  Is it soft, calm and reassuring, or is it sharp, irritated and negative?  Sometimes when I am in the grocery store with no children, I'll hear a frustrated mother sounding off to her children and ask myself "do I sound like that?"  We have probably all been in those shoes and YES, did sound like that!

This week, I'm making it a point to listen to myself, to my tone.  My voice will be remembered for many years to come, I want to make it a good memory and a source of pleasure and comfort forever.