It seems unnecessary given the events of this week on the campaign trail to point out the damage which can be done by reckless words, so instead I wanted to look at a more positive approach.

 Earlier in the week I heard a little primary school child describing the benefits she had found from additional Maths tuition. She explained how bad she felt about school when she didn't understand the lessons and the difference it had made to her day when someone was able to unravel the mysteries and help her catch up with the class.

What really moved me however was her description of how it felt when her teacher told her she had done good work, a few words of encouragement meant so much to that little girl, giving her motivation to keep working at the problem and making her see herself in a better light.

 

It makes me wonder how much encouragement do I give to others, I found in Proverbs a beautiful thought:

"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" Proverbs 25 vs 11