Friday, March 23, 2001

An encouraging word like 'apples of gold'

These words are in a song, "Where never is heard a discouraging word." For years I thought the words were, "Where never is heard an encouraging word." This seemed to me more true to life.

How often all of us need to hear an encouraging word. It can make a big difference whether it is in a tennis match, football game, basketball game, the home, or the place of business - any aspect of a person's life needs an encouraging word.

The media has been criticized for giving us bad news. It seems that bad news gets more attention than "good" news. But each of us longs for good news of encouragement.

"A word tenderly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). In the ancient far East, it was a custom to place on the king's banquet table delicate silver baskets filled with gold apples. During the meal, the baskets were passed around. Each guest selected one of the apples as a personal gift from the king.

"You can! You can!" These words can make a big difference in a person's life. When I was a little child I often found myself saying, "I can't." Mother told me the story of the little train that said, "I can't." The mother train said for the little train to say, "I think I can. I think I can." When he did say, "I think I can," he could. Words can help us overcome difficulties, to accomplish a task we didn't think we could do. It can wreck or revive. It can ruin or restore. Words are powerful.

Recently, it has been found that humorous, happy words make another person happy. It also helps the person saying them. It may be a big factor in curing illnesses. A former editor of the Saturday Review had odds of one in 500 of overcoming a serious illness. He bought books and records that would make him happy and make him laugh. He recovered. He was made an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University. So, "a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast fear dries up the bones."

We, physicians, have known for a long time the negative aspects of emotions and the harm they can produce, or be a triggering factor in things such as headaches, ulcers and hypertension. However, we have not stressed the beneficial effects of a person's positive emotions on the body.

The name Barnabus means encourager. Mark was going on a mission journey with Paul and Barnabus. He became homesick and returned home. On the next journey, Paul refused to take Mark with him. Barnabus believed in Mark and encouraged him and took him on a separate mission journey. Because of this, we have the Gospel of Mark. Also, later, Paul had Mark to be with him.

You never know when a word of encouragement may save a person's life. Most people are hurting. Many are depressed. Depression leads to suicide. These people desperately need to hear encouraging words.

Let us be an example of the song, "Where never is heard a discouraging word."

(EDITOR'S NOTE - Claude A. Frazier is an Asheville physician.)

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