Word Overload

My vocation is tied to words. I’m either speaking them or writing them. I officiate funerals and weddings. I preach. I do workshops and seminars. I write a blog. I speak and pray weekly on a nationwide Jesus Calling Prayer Call.

But, true confession, right now I’m so tired of words, so very, very tired of words. I am even tired of my own words. Don’t worry, this happens often and I still seem to keep writing and talking.

Our news right now is full of words. Our social media is full of words. We can’t always discern where those words are coming from or how full of lies they are. I’m sick of those kinds of words. I’m sick of the words coming out of certain people’s mouths right now. I’m sick of looking at hateful social media feeds most especially when they are righteously putting Christian cloaks over hate words.

Our mailbox is even full of election postcards crammed with words. Do those election postcards actually make a difference in campaigns? They must or people wouldn’t keep sending them, right? They must believe the bigger the postcard, the better the results because the postcards are getting really huge. On Saturday, when I went to the mailbox we strangely had only one piece of mail. It was for a local election. As I walked back in the house reading it, I knew the words on that card were false, misleading and actually pretty hateful. I buried it as fast as I could in the recycle bin. I’m so tired of words.

Even the words about the virus are ticking up just like the number of cases on the U.S. map.

In these next 8 days, I mean 8 eons, until the election I’m bracing myself for the words to get worse and for those words to multiply instead of lessen.

Everything in my heart and soul wants there to be less words, no words or downright silence. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just have a week of silence in this pre-election week for everyone to meditate, pray, clear their hearts and just be quiet? We could call it Pre-Election Silence Week, kind of like the Dead Days they have in college right before finals.

I’m refreshed by thinking of the two shortest verses in all of scripture. Each are only two words. Jesus wept (John 11:35) and Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

I feel like we are all living in between those two shortest verses right now, between tears and rejoicing. We are in a most uncomfortable, painful time. I know I alternate between tears and joyful gratitude several times every day.

Shorter seems better right now. Less seems like more.

As I close today, here are the few words I’d like to share for the week ahead,

Please vote.

Look up.

Be still.

Allow God.

Be Light.

Love deeply.

Don’t hate.

Be peace.

From John 1:14 The Message translation, God’s Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.

Ahhh, yes, that’s the one simple Word I’ve been looking for. Thank you, God.

Dr. Cindy Ryan is a pastor, wife, mother of three, breast cancer survivor and Mosa to Keller, Pace and one on the way. To read more blogs, watch sermons, see upcoming speaking engagements and to learn more about the Jesus Calling Weekly Prayer Call she co-hosts on Tuesday mornings, go to http://www.drcindyryanblog.com. There you can also sign up for Cindy’s Inner Circle and receive the November Top Ten List on her suggested one calorie a day diet, (not the kind you are thinking of either!)