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A
group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of
them fell into a deep
pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit.
When
they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs
they would never get
out. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to
jump up out of the pit.
The
other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good
as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other
frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once
again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and
suffering and just die.
He jumped even harder and finally made it out.
When
he got out, the other frogs asked him, "Why did you
continue jumping? Didn't
you hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was
deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This
story teaches two lessons:
-
There
is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word
to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
-
A
destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes
to kill them. Be
careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your
path.
The
power of words ... it is sometimes hard to understand that an
encouraging word
can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to
rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.
Received
on August 27, 2000, in an email
from my good friend, Peter A. Gertsen, CAUS
Director
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