I read a blog recently by a really neat lady about words. The power of words, the necessity of words, the importance of making our words ones that strengthen those who hear.
That haunts me.
Why? Because I live in a country without words. I go through my day with the ability to both give and receive very few words. The words I intake are usually hard earned and slightly misunderstood, same story with the words I give. If people understand my words it's because both of us are really making an effort to communicate.
How do you build relationships without words? How do you let people know you love them when you can't really listen and understand them and when you are not able to give words of comfort or encouragement? There are no words to describe the feeling of being trapped knowing that you cannot understand or be understood. The constant rumbling of words in your mind trying to find the right ones in the right tone to convey to the person what you would like to eat...forget about matters of real importance.
Talking about the absolute importance of building relationships with people in our community I feel so overwhelmed. I don't know how to do that without words...showing up is a good start...but it's not enough.
So, I'll keep trying to talk with the muu ping (pork on a stick) man in a field who asks where I'm going and tells me that he hasn't seen me before. I'll try to answer his questions in words he understands so that he knows I am making an effort to be friendly. And maybe... just maybe... someday they'll know. They'll know we came because our hearts ache for them, that our desire is that they know the same saving love of Christ we do, that we just want to walk through life with them on a journey to know our Savior more.
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