Copyright 2016 Theresa Harvard Johnson
Read this article first: 65 Signs Your Child Might Be A Scribe

Over the years, I’ve ministered to and prayed for hundreds of scribes who were blocked in their gifting and lost their voice due to childhood trauma. While we traditionally think of trauma in terms of obvious abuse, there are some hurts in our lives that are not as noticeable but just as impactful – like using books, writing, etc. as forms of punishment.

All traumas can be life-altering even if inflicted without this thought in mind. We need to be aware of those things too.

My Personal Story (And that of thousands like me)

In elementary school in the late 70s and early 80s, it was normal to be punished by a schoolteacher for inappropriate behavior by being forced to write. I wrote “I will not talk in class, I will not talk back to the teacher, and I will sit still in my chair” so much that it felt like a normal part of my coursework. Punishment at home also meant I would have to go without reading my books or being able to write in my diary. Mom would take them away and hide them from me.

What’s even worse, there were certain scripture verses I had to write over and over again — until my mom thought it was enough. My passion for writing nearly died in the midst of all of that in my early childhood. I received the beating of a lifetime once after something I wrote in my diary. The stories are endless.

Yes, I know that was normal back then. Yes, I know it wasn’t so bad in the eyes of others reading this today. However, I am sharing it because I formed some unhealthy ideas in my head along the way. I even grew to resent the Bible, only to one day learn that I needed to read beyond the scripture verses used to punish me. One favorite of my mother’s for me to write over and over was Exodus 20:12. (Go read it.) It would be years before I had context through Ephesians 6:4.

While I overcame some of those thoughts associated with punishment and writing, I’ve found that not everyone does. In fact, when I have walked through issues of writer’s block, hatred of reading or other related struggles prophetic scribes have, many of them remember moments in their lives when the very love that they had for reading, writing and creativity was used as punishment.

Finding A Better Way

We need to recognize the tendencies to respond to correcting our young people in situations like this, and find better ways.

It’s easy to recognize musical gifts, interests in theatre, dance, and other creative areas. People tend to know how to nurture “the obvious.” But with prophetic scribes, it can be different. Just read the article, “65 Signs Your Child Might Be a Prophetic Scribe.” Because of some of those behaviors and habits, I was seen as a peculiar and annoying child by adults — especially as it related to my inquisitiveness and talkativeness.

In addition to helping adults in their scribal journey, I raised my own children – one of whom is a PROFOUND scribe. She’s so much like me I shiver sometimes thinking about it. But even when raising her, I made some of the mistakes that hurt me growing up. But the Lord woke me and helped me correct the wrongs.

I’ve also mentored children (some were authors at 7 and 8 years of age) and helped parents unlock the scribal gift in their children through simple, fun activities and loads of conversation. Wounding in the area of your “gifting” can be debilitating later in life. No child should require a therapist or a life coach to “believe in their gifts.” I want to challenge you to be intentional in preventing abuse in this area.

Learning From Mistakes

The list below is based on things I’ve learned. You may have more to add to this list. The point is: Let’s encourage the gifts in our children by recognizing some of the actions that kill the gift of the scribe in them and deciding to put an end to them. In response to solutions, simply remember to be kind, considerate, extend patience and respond in the way YOU would like people to respond to you IN CORRECTION. There IS A WAY to say everything with Holy Spirit’s guidance and help.

To protect the scribal gifts in children, don’t:

1.  Punish them by taking their books, notebooks, journals… digital devices that they use to blog.
2. Tell them they are nosey because they relentlessly ask questions.
3. Tell them to “shut up” when they are talking.
4. Ignore their writings, poetry, short stories, etc. when they share it with you.
5. Talk over them when they are sharing a joke or cool story.

6. Punish them for always “making jokes” or being the life of a party. (The gifts of laughter, exhortation, and encouragement could be hidden here.)
7. Tell them they need to focus on something other than writing or reading.
8. Criticize their writing style.
9. Mock, laugh, or make fun of their writing.
10. Fail to make time to listen to their jokes, short stories, imaginative ideas, etc.
11. Compare their writing or writing activity to that of someone else.
12. Discourage their love of writing and reading.
13. Accuse them of talking too much. (Instead, redirect the talking.)
14. Discount their love of writing instruments and paper.
15. Fail to buy them writing supplies.
16. Discourage their uniqueness.
17. Never, EVER… ask about their writing even though you know they love it.
18. Tell them that they will never be a real writer.
19. Saying writers do not make money.
20. Mock a child’s writing, speech or mannerisms — whether it’s an impairment, stutter, grammatical challenge, or a learning disability. It’s never, ever FUNNY.
21. Tell them that what they have to say is unimportant.
22. Failing to listen to the child even if the parent does not agree. (Being heard is critically important for healthy development, even if the child does not get their way.)
23. Call “the child” stupid.
24. Publicly embarrass the child by forcing them to read something personal to them before others.
25. STEAL their notebooks, diaries, and journals… and share the contents with family members, co-workers, strangers, etc. publicly shaming them for sharing their secrets in writing.
26. Suppress their dramatic gifts.
27. Use writing or reading as punishment.

Such behaviors, especially when repeated over time, can begin to suppress or even kill the calling of the scribe in a child (and so much more). Then, as an adult, recovery must take place from the stunted growth, buried gifts, suppressed voice, and mistaken identity. If you are an adult reading this, who feels blocked – some of these things could be the root.