Anyone who has read my profile, journal, posts or responses knows by now that I love words. It goes beyond that. Words are my greatest passion. I consider them God's second greatest gift, the first being love, of course. I love words in any form, spoken in person or on a phone, handwritten on the finest paper, typed, scratched in the dirt, carved on dead trees, formed by smoke planes in the sky, I love them all. I love lists of words, I think the dictionary makes for fine reading, poems, essays, quotes, fiction, non-fiction, I love it all. I believe words are the most powerful force in the Universe. They can prevent, start and stop wars. They can begin or end a marriage or a friendship. They can heal, soothe, comfort or terrify. They can incite riots, or initate lovemaking. They can lift one's spirit to Heaven, or plunge it into the depths of hell. They can do more good, or more harm, than anything else on Earth.
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I was awake most of the night, with something weighing heavily on my heart. I felt I needed to do something about a certain situation, but I couldn't think of anything I could do. So, as I always do, I came back to words. I decided to offer those words as a prayer. They are, I hope, a reminder to all of us. But if you read this prayer, and your reaction is "this is probably directed at me", it probably is.

Heavenly Father
I lift up this family, formed not by blood or by law, but by our love for one another. Without the love, it would not be a family, but a group, worth no more than words typed, then deleted before being read. Love makes us a family, and love gives our words the power to heal and comfort and support. I pray, Father, for that love to grow and to sustain us as we search for healing for our bodies, hearts and spirits. I ask You to guide our choice of words, that they would be gentle and heal, not harsh and wound. And I ask, Lord, that those who would use cruel, hurtful words and claim they do so in Your Name and Your service would truly come to know You, Father, as God of love and light, that they might draw others closer to You. I ask that those who use Your Holy Name to justify their own wrong doing would realize that they may be driving away ones who are searching to find You, and that the words they use may be the last ones that person will ever hear about You. I pray, Father, that they will use words to show love and understanding and kindness and mercy, as You have shown us. Amen