Big Words

This morning I am thinking about big words.  I had a colleague (I’ll call him Joe) who was known for using really big words in every conversation and presentation.  Joe was not inclined to choose words like “mean” or “excited” or “ponder” when speaking.  Instead, he would use “vituperative” or “ebullient” or “excogitate.”  Yes, he was quite a sesquipedalian.  (See, I actually enjoy big words too.)  One day while Joe was making a presentation, I was seated next to another colleague (I’ll call him Jim.)  Jim and I had in common that day that we would both rather be somewhere else than in a meeting and that we were both amused by Joe’s use of big words.  To entertain ourselves, we started playing a game we made up called “Big Word Bingo.”  Every time Joe used a big word, we wrote it down.  At the end of the presentation, whoever had written the most “big words” (and they had to be spelled correctly) was the winner.  We decided that, in case of a tie, the one who could actually define the most words would be the winner.  I have to say this game kept the two of us much more engaged than we might have been otherwise…although it admittedly wasn’t the most mature way.  And we both actually learned words that could enrich our language!  I certainly don’t know the motivations and background experiences for Joe’s love of big words, but as I reflect I realize there are some big words for which I want to be known also.  These words are not necessarily multisyllabic (there’s another one) or hard to spell.  I want to be known for big words like love, faith, kindness, loyalty, strength, truth, hope, and peace.  It doesn’t matter if I’m in a one-on-one conversation or addressing a large audience.  Whether I am speaking through my words or my actions, I always want the vocabulary of God’s power and grace to come across, loud and clear.  I pray that those who listen may learn Words that will enrich their lives.