Copyright 2016 Theresa Harvard Johnson
Read this article first: 65 Signs Your Child Might Be a Prophetic 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 abusive. Those trauma’s can be life-altering even if inflicted unintentionally. We need to be aware of those things too.
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 up 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.
The list below is based on things I’ve learned. You may have more to add to this list. The point is simple: 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 our patience and respond in the way YOU would like people to respond to you. There IS A WAY to say everything with Holy Spirit’s guidance and help.
The following actions could hinder The Scribal Anointing in your child’s life:
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, direct it.)
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 its 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 try to understand the child’s perspective.
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. 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.
Finally, as parents, we make mistakes in raising our children. Most of us do not intend to be abusive. I know I did not! Don’t enter into condemnation if you find yourself having done some of these things. There is forgiveness, repentance, and recovery. HELLO THERESA! This list is intended to empower us to do better.
- Get the comprehensive teaching series on the ministry of the scribe, “The Scribal Anointing & The Scribal Companion”
- Get one-on-one scribal training or empowerment sessions with Theresa Harvard Johnson
- Join us online in the ONLY COMPREHENSIVE Scribal Prophets group on the web
