She played the same three measures of music over and over again, hoping that one of these times would help her remember the next part of the song.

She persevered, but then I saw the wetness at the corner of her eyes.

I sat down on the piano bench next to her and helped her remain calm and move on to the next part of the song so that she could maintain her dignity and consider the recital performance a success.

As a music teacher, sometimes my presence, sometimes my words, and always my belief in the student provided just the inspiration needed in sometimes challenging moments.

As a wife and mother, those same things make a huge difference each and every day.  In fact, I’ve come to understand that my words and the tone of my voice can do more than I realize.  On one end of the spectrum my words and tone can tear down and on the other end of the spectrum, they can inspire.

God has given us incredible power to influence the lives of others positively or negatively. The Bible says quite alot about the influence we have particularly with our words, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body,” (Proverbs 16:24) and “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit,” (Proverbs 15:4) are just two of the reminders of the power we hold.

Today I’m linking up with other Hearts at Home Bloggers to grab hold of our power to inspire. You can hop around and find the encouragement you need to bring a positive influence to your spouse, your kids, and others in your circle of influence!

(If you receive my blog via email, you can find the blog hop links here!)

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