Lover of Words

Last night, I started to put some thoughts together concerning my fascination with words. The written word stirs me more than any other media. A well placed word or a thoughtfully arranged piece strike me like a match on it's box, a flame bursts within and burns inside.

After scribbling some thoughts down, I decided to start reading a biography about Charles Spurgeon. Strangely this is what I read about him,

"He loved words. He delighted in dissecting them, turning them about to see just where they fit...he diligently revised his own work and insisted on finding the right term to express his meaning."

I read that and smirked at the irony. Here was a man, now dead and buried, who shared the same love affair with language that I, just moments before, was trying to put to paper.

The perfect placement of an adjective or the carefully chosen verb to capture the very essence of an action thrills my literal senses. To express a concept as vividly and precisely as possible, I will frequently pause until just the right word pops into my head. If the words aren't communicating exactly what I desire, it will distract and consume me until I discover the exact expression of thoughts that will portray what I intended. Words are pictures, they should be viewed, admired, and displayed to others.

Do I sound like a fanatic? You should see me play Boggle. Much to the dismay of friends and family, this game is one of my favourites. If it looks like it could be a word, I write it down. Although my companions object, I have to say that my vocabulary has increased tremendously by my Boggle searches. I used to play by myself in an effort to improve enough as to beat my brother, Dan. After a gloating win, he vowed never to play me again and never has since.

Not only am I lover of words, but I am a lover of the Word. No matter my spiritual state, I am drawn to the psalms, prophecies, letters, and histories of the Bible. How it's verses have tantalized my spirit and my soul. I also love the one who is the Word. The one Word who was there in the beginning with God. The Word that was and is God, that spoke all things into existence. The Word is powerful and the Word loves me. This Word strikes a match in me that never will extinguish. A match is lit for a reason, to set something else on fire. May my life spread the flame of desire for more, more of Jesus. May my love and use of words cause others to be lovers of the Word.