A Few Words Can Last a Lifetime

But you never know what will stick.

Photo by Lisa Fotios

We were watching Jewel of the Nile. It’s the almost-forgotten sequel to Romancing the Stone. I don’t remember much about the movie except the end, and I probably wouldn’t remember even that if the scene hadn’t been pinned in my mind by my father’s words.

During the finale, a holy man, the true Jewel of the Nile from the title, walks through a raging inferno unharmed, proving he is the true spiritual leader. The crowd bows down to him with religious devotion.

My father just said, “They’re worshipping him. No man deserves that type of devotion.” He didn’t have to elaborate. My mind immediately went to the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and how they refused to bow down to an idol.

He probably didn’t think I would remember those words 30+ years later, that they would burrow into me like a tick and refuse to leave. Truth be told, I’ve forgotten a lot of what he said to me when I was a child. Some of it within a day or so, which led to much-deserved discipline.

As a father, you never know what’s going to stick. But like a storm, you should be flooding them with good words and attention, knowing that none of it is a waste. You can’t know which seeds will sprout and grow roots, so you have to water all of them and have faith. Don’t be stingy.

This is also a warning. Evil words can also stick, burning like a brand. They can stick easier than words of life. So watch your speech. Season it with salt. Talk to your kids when you walk, when you eat, when you rest, when you watch movies, when you do anything. All of them help.

Like the many lunches you feed them over the years, they might not remember most of your words exactly. But they were still nourished by them. They grew. And there might be that one meal they remember in particular, one that they loved.

So keep feeding them.