The Power of Our Spoken Words

My granddaughter Daphne is four years old—active, smart, talkative, and curious, just like any child her age. However, there was one challenge - she was extremely shy around strangers, even other children. At the playground, if another child was on her favorite slide, she would quietly walk away to play somewhere else. At her childcare center, where she had been attending for a year, her educators often mentioned that Daphne preferred playing alone during free-play sessions. She would only join group activities when the teachers initiated them, and although she participated enthusiastically, she rarely spoke. Their reports frequently described her as engaging “nonverbally” with teachers and peers. I realized that her reserved nature might have stemmed from being an only child and being born right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. For her first two years, she had very little interaction outside of her parents. This limited exposure affected her social development—but I knew this wasn’t her true nature. At home, she’s lively, expressive, and full of words! When I visited them in mid-July this year, I tried to get Daphne to talk more about her school life. At first, she was reluctant, but after some gentle persistence, I discovered that she actually knew the names of every single child in her group—25 of them! Clearly, she was observant and intelligent. Still, intelligence alone couldn’t help her overcome her shyness overnight. Then I remembered Pastor Aaron sharing how he would speak declarations of faith with his daughter whenever she was unwell, affirming that she was “strong and healthy.” Having learned about the power of our new nature in Christ, I truly believe in the authority and power we carry through our words because of Christ in us. So, I decided to do the same with Daphne. One morning, I told her to say this after me: I am brave; I am not shy. I have lots of friends. I am strong and healthy. Because I have Jesus in me! Amen! After repeating it twice, she could already memorize it and could say it all on her own! From then on, whenever possible, I encouraged her to make this declaration before heading to childcare. To my amazement, just two weeks later, I noticed photos in the childcare app showing her playing and mingling happily with her classmates. What a beautiful transformation! Only the power of God could have given her the courage to step out of her shell. All glory to Jesus! Note: Appended below are extracts of reports written by Daphne’s educators for the month of June and August for comparison, and also some photos of her at the childcare center.

Date of Report: 30 June 2025 Child’s Name: Daphne
Current room: Butterfly Room
Report Written by: Cindy Walker
Daphne is a quiet and thoughtful individual who often prefers solitary play, which allows her to feel comfortable and in control of her environment. She is deeply engaged during independent activities, particularly construction-based tasks such as building with Lego. During these moments, Daphne becomes fully immersed in her play, demonstrating strong focus, concentration, and creativity. When not actively participating in an activity, Daphne often chooses to observe her peers at play from a distance. This quiet observation reflects her reflective nature and a thoughtful approach to social engagement. When something she observes excites or resonates with her, she expresses her emotions with genuine joy—jumping up and down, smiling, and laughing—indicating a deepening connection to her social environment in a way that is uniquely her own. Daphne demonstrates empathy and concern for others through non-verbal communication. She will often point out when a peer is hurt or in need of help by alerting me, showing a developing sense of emotional awareness and compassion.

Observation 7 Aug 2025
During outdoor play, I observed Daphne following a group of her peers while bouncing on a hopper ball. She moved along behind them, carefully mirroring their actions. When one peer reached the mat and fell off their ball deliberately, Daphne imitated the action, tumbling off her own ball. As she fell, she laughed and looked up at me, clearly enjoying the moment. Daphne then climbed back onto her ball and began following another peer. He looked at her and asked, “Do you want a race?” Daphne nodded enthusiastically, and he began bouncing ahead while she followed closely behind. Upon returning to the mat, Daphne watched her peer fall off their ball and again copied the action, laughing as she got back up and quickly re-mounted her ball. She continued this pattern throughout the play session, following her peers around the playground, stopping when they stopped, and staying close behind them, fully engaged in their
shared movements and playful interactions.

Observation 29 Aug 2025
Daphne sat down on the mat alongside some of her peers and began working independently at first. After some time, she shifted her focus to supporting a peer, thoughtfully selecting and passing along the blocks he needed to complete his construction. This demonstrated her growing social awareness, cooperation, and willingness to engage in collaborative play.