Barrow Journal

When I was a kid, there was a little song we used to sing in Sunday School: “Oh, Be Careful.”
The words went like this: “Oh, be careful little hands what you do! Oh, be careful little hands what you do! For the Father up above is looking down with love. Oh, be careful little hands what you do!”
And there were other verses: “Oh, be careful little feet where you go!”, “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see!”, “Oh, be careful little ears what you hear!”, and the most powerful one of all was “Oh, be careful little mouth what you say!”
If you know the song, it should be pretty much stuck in your head now. Sorry about that!
I reckon there are several ways to look at the meaning of this song. The first, and most assumed, meaning would be to encourage children to literally “be careful” of their actions. And could there possibly be a little tiny thread of guilt, or fear factor thrown in there… reminding kids that the Father is always looking down on us? (In reality, I think a few of us grown-ups should think about that every now and then…)
The greater message, in my thinking, is not just the reminder to be careful, or that the Father is watching us, but that He is “looking down with love.”
We make mistakes. We do things we shouldn’t do; we go places we shouldn’t go; we see and hear things we shouldn’t see. But for most of us, the biggest problem is our mouths. We say things we shouldn’t say. And while profanity certainly falls into that spectrum, it’s not what I’m focusing on. It’s the hurtful words we say, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Back in the day when we were kids, our parents tried to teach us not to be hurt by words. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
While they meant well in teaching us this concept, it is so not true! Broken bones and bruises will heal, over time. Words can stay with us forever. I’ll bet each one of us can recall something that someone has said to us that crushed our spirit. And while we may have forgiven them, the words can haunt us forever.
I will never forget the time I heard what I considered to be a funny joke. I shared it with a rather new friend. As soon as I spoke the punch line, it hit me in the gut that because of a personal health issue, my new friend would quite likely be hurt by the words, and the fact that I was finding amusement in something that they found a difficult reality. I was mortified!
To address the issue may have caused further embarrassment on the part of my friend, so I said nothing. It has probably (hopefully) been long forgotten, but it still bothers me. Words are powerful.
If you want to read about the power of the spoken word, take a look at the third chapter of James in your Bible. I’m afraid that paints too accurate of a picture for many of us. From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things ought not to be this way! (3:11)
We need to try a little harder to be in better control of our words and use them for good. Because sticks and stones may break our bones, but be very sure that words can hurt forever.
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Cathy Watkins Bennett is a Barrow County native and a graduate of Winder-Barrow High School. Send comments about this column to
bencath@aol.com.