Think spot Tuesday 18 March (Sharon)

Our son and daughter in law, and grandkids have just shifted into their new home that they have been building. Whilst they have built it they have had no power to the site - so one of the main tools has been the good old fashioned hammer.

A hammer is a very useful tool when building - ask Jim. Tap, tap, tap as it forces the nail to join timber together. But it can also destroy something with the power of one big swing!

Many years ago, we lived next door to a family with two little boys - very active boys. My husband John had been using his hammer and had left it on the ground. One of the boys picked up the hammer and started tapping on the glass door - gently at first, tap, tap, tap, he was enjoying the sound that it made, then with the next tap he used quite a bit more energy and everyone heard what sounded like an explosion - he had broken the glass door - crash! There was glass everywhere!

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words. (good or bad) Proverbs 18v21

Our tongue is just like the hammer, it can build others up little by little, tap, tap, tap, but with one swing it can destroy a soul, or we can use it to build others up with kindness and encouragement or tear down with criticism and anger.

Mother Teresa simply puts it like this: 'Kind words can be short and easy to speak - but their echoes are truly endless"