“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21) “Wise words satisfy like a good meal. The right words bring satisfaction.” (Proverbs 18:29)” Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind”—Rudyard Kipling.
These quotes are truth. Secular power is generated by man and machine, but real power is in the tongue. Words can make or break you. Words bring life or death.
I experienced this power from a friend, Shot Thames. I had a hip replacement several years ago by Dr. Don Hodurski and Dr. Roland Hester. They told me the life of a hip replacement was about 20-25 years. They discussed with some degree of disagreement about whether or not I could continue playing competitive tennis with an artificial hip. They agreed to let me do it. My goal was to win a state tournament with a replaced hip. I was able to do that several times.
As expected, after about 25 years, I began to have some difficulty with my hip. They sent me for an MRI and discovered some things that would require another hip replacement.
After exploring the possibility of surgery with some doctors here in Montgomery, and going to the Andrews Clinic in Birmingham, nobody wanted to do the surgery. As Lynn and I returned from Birmingham, we were eating lunch at Down the Street restaurant, and I saw a good friend Shot Thames. I do a devotional at Hampstead every Friday morning and Shot was always there.
When I told him about my situation, he said he had a similar situation, but he finally found a doctor at East Alabama Medical Center by the name of Dr. Todd Sheils who would consider it.
When Lynn and I visited Dr. Sheils’ office in 2018, it was a divine appointment. He studied the situation and said that he understood why most people didn’t want to do the surgery, but that he would be glad to. He said, “If my dad knew that I turned you down because of this difficulty, when he got through with me, I wouldn’t be able to practice medicine anymore.” I told him I loved his dad.
He did warn me that there was a possibility that I could wind up on a permanent walker or wheelchair. He scheduled me for the Monday after Thanksgiving at 12:00 pm. He chose that time because he could get the operating room for a full five hours. He was totally prepared for any scenario.
After Dr. Todd Sheils and others prayed for me, I went to the operating room. I looked at the clock, and it was 12:30 pm. When I woke up from surgery, I knew that if the clock said 5:00 pm, my surgery would have been severe and would totally change my mobility for the future. Fortunately, the clock showed 1:45 pm. I thanked God that Dr. Sheils, who gave the credit to God, had done an excellent job. I’ve had no issues with the hip since!
Shot Thames’ words were simple and short in that restaurant, but they were powerful. They were life for me. Shot Thames went on to be with the Lord on April 21, 2026.
Don’t miss your opportunity to speak life into somebody’s situation. Remember— “Words spoken in the right circumstances are like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11) “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply. It’s wonderful to say the right thing at the right time.” (Proverbs 15:23) “Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Colossians 3:17)
What do you have to say today?
