As a teenage girl, my father told me that like him, I also have the gift of the Gab. I didn’t know what he meant at the time but I assumed it was a compliment. As I got older I learned that as much as this gift was a compliment , it could also be a curse. Today, I want to thank my father on his b(earthday)for exposing me to this gift early on and for helping me see the significance in nurturing it present day.
A couple months ago around 2 in the afternoon my son and I were shopping for materials for our home DIY project at The Big Lots store at a nearby plaza. As we exited the front of the store, we noticed a group of predominantly young black boys had surrounded my scooter that was parked near the door. As we walked closer, I could hear the young boys talking about it; saying “how nice it was,” but I couldn’t help but get an uneasy feeling as I got closer to the bike. I got a feeling they were up to no good. so I told them they were too close and needed to back up. I must admit I was already frustrated from having been to several stores in search of the materials needed for our project, I did have an attitude when I told young boys to back up.
One of the young boys got upset and started cursing saying “don’t no one want yo punk ass bike”, I turned to the child as I began to turn my scooter around to exit with my son on the back and told him he needed to watch his mouth and learn some respect. I said, If you continue to be disrespectful, I am going to call mall security, or the police to escort you out of the plaza. The whole group of boys started yelling and cursing obscenities. I then turned to my son and said you see these boys here, they are an example of how not to behave when your this age. I then turned back to them, but still talking to my son loud enough for them to hear me saying “their behavior is going to lead them to 1, or 2 places within the next year dead, or in jail.”
Once I said that, I knew I struck a nerve in the boys because they started rushing towards my bike, a few making jestures as if they were going to hit me. Initially, I wasn’t going to follow through with getting the police involved, although I had told them I was attempting to “scare them straight”, not until they actually started physically threatening me. However, proud of my self that I left the situation as is. I felt that calling the police would do the boys more harm than good, I still felt uneasy at how defensive and rallied up I left these young boys.
Days later, this situation was still on my mind along with the uneasy feeling in my stomach. After seeking a spiritual interpretation on this experience, it was revealed to me the reason behind the unsettling feeling. From a Daily Bread reading, I learned that I had not handled that situation the best way I knew how. Without love and without patience, I had subconsciously emotionally responded to the behavior of these kids rather than using logic. After receiving the confirmation a light bulb went off and I knew that my choice of words and tone used with this young group of boys triggered the reaction/response I received.
Playing back the incident in my mind, not only was I judgmental, but I hadn’t even given them a chance to prove that they weren’t up to no good. I assumed they were attempting to steal and told them they were headed for a life of disparity. Literally cursing them smh. After talking with my sister, she reminded me that growth is not avoiding mistakes, but learning from them. Then she asked if you, knowing what you know now, how would you respond to those same group of kids surrounding your bike? I would say how are you young gentlemen this afternoon, staying out of trouble I hope? I see you all admiring my bike, you all are almost old enough to have one of your own! Practicing my response alone made me feel 100xs better. A mentioned before, my father also shared this gift of the gab. For that reason he fathered a lot of people; speaking life to kids, adults & the elderly, especially towards the end of his life and still in spirit today!
So wondering what the lesson from this blessing was for me? The Gift of the gab means being able to speak life for me at least anyways! The tongue is a very powerful thing. Sure, people curse sometimes but practice has surely made complimenting for me a whole lot easier. Words are power and with that being said I hope you all enjoyed tonight’s read. Love you all to life!
Growing Strong Together 