There is so much noise in our world, it is easy to wonder if the words we write in silence make any difference whatsoever. Who cares about our stories, our poems, our songs? What difference do they make in the lives of everyday people?

And yet, from experience, we know they do. We have all been touched at some point by the right word at just the right moment. Words have incredible power—for good or evil. They can encourage or tear down. They are able to inspire courage or instill fear. They can move us to action or motivate us to take a stand.

Sometimes, their impact is huge and sweeping and changes the world.

At other times, the result is quieter, but no less important. The right word, at the right time, can change the life of one person.

Through the power of the internet, I recently met fellow writer Sara Goff. Sara started an organization called, Lift The Lid which helps underfunded schools in Kenya and the Philippines. Through the financial support of sponsors, Lift The Lid comes alongside a local school for the long haul, making sure they have the staff and supplies they need to make a difference in the lives of their students.

But equally important, Lift the Lid strives to inspire creativity in the students, to give them hope that education matters, to keep them motivated to learn. One of the ways they do that is to publish the student’s work on the Lift the Lid website. By bringing the schools–and students–out of obscurity, they communicate that their words matter. They matter.

Mealtime at The School in a Cart, Cubao, Philippines

I had the privilege of spending six weeks in Metro Manila while I was a college student years ago. Lift The Lid sponsors “The School in a Cart” that ministers to the street children in Cubao, Quezon City. Even though my novel, Angel Falls, is set in Brazil, it also deals with street children, so the stories and faces and heartache never cease to tug on my heart.

I wrote a blog for Lift the Lid called The Magic of Words. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it—and to discover Lift The Lid and what they’re trying to accomplish.

Even when we feel we’re writing in the dark, our words matter. I hope you will use your words today—whether spoken or written–to encourage someone.