October 2, 2008

Snarky Girls, Mean Girls, and Otherwise

I have a habit of making up words. Or so my husband tells me. I guess that's true, considering I introduced him to the word "blucky" early on in our relationship. (I think it was a combination of bloated & yucky...and it was the perfect description for how I felt some days.)

Earlier in the week I complained that someone had made a snarky comment in an email, and he accused me of making up another word. I informed him that Tim Gunn had used the word just last week on Project Runway. (aside: Melissa is so thankful that Suede is gone. Melissa thinks that talking about yourself in the third person is just plain weird!) Since R doesn't share my affection for Tim Gunn, he wasn't persuaded that snarky actually is a word.

I'm not one to let my man think he's right when he's most definitely wrong...and I'm sure he appreciates that I love him that much (hi, honey!). So, I went to Merriam-Webster Online and looked up "snarky".

snarky \ˈsnär-kē\
Function: adjective
Date: 1906
1 : crotchety , snappish 2 : sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner

I didn't make it up, but I misusing in this instance. The comment in the email wasn't snarky. It was just plain mean. And I was furious. I practically had to tie my fingers together to keep from retaliating. I prayed and griped, griped and prayed. With all the strength Jesus gave me and with my hubby's sound advice, I was able to consider the source and put it behind me.

In the girls' Bible Study last week, we discussed Hannah's troubles with a mean girl, Peninnah (see 1 Samuel 1). The Scripture is silent about Hannah's response to Peninnah, but that silence speaks volumes. Are we, too, to be silent when faced with mean girls? As the girls shared their thoughts and experiences, we talked about seeing beyond the mean girl exterior and praying for those who intentionally hurt us. Easy for me to say, since I haven't been part of the teen scene for more than 20 years. I didn't expect I'd be the victim of meanness. I think God wants me to practice what I preach.

He drove it home in my quiet time.
If we are focused on Christ, if he is the treasure of our hearts, we will arrange our lives around that singular focus. We will desire to see him more clearly. And he tells us how to sharpen that focus: love others. Love others.
~Keri Wyatt Kent, Breathe

Love others....those who are lost, those who are mean, and even those who are snarky. In doing so, we will see more of Him.

May it be so, sweet Jesus!

P.S. - "Snarky...since 1906" is a catch phrase that R thought up. Sounds like great a blog tagline!

5 comments:

Alyce said...

Well..when I began reading the definition of "snarky" I thought..oh boy..that sounds like me..but then I remembered that we havent emailed this week! sheww..I'm off the hook..haha! Words do hurt..and sometimes its hard to understand them when they are in email format too. I hope that this has been resolved for you. We have to remember to let go and let God! I am going to be quoting this alot over the next several weeks..as I did agree to lead that Bible study!

Jill said...

And here I've been using snarky wrong all along, too. I have only recently (in the past few years) learned to not snap back when I feel slighted...and it's OH! SO! EASY! to snap back in email! I have yet to move onto "killing someone with kindness" because if I feel they're snarky, though I don't snap back, I'll have nothing to do with them, if possible. Not good. And not the way God wants it. (ANd PS - I know the definition and feeling of blucky. It's a marvelous term.)

Alana said...

I don't like mean people, but you are right. God loves that. I have to tell myself that every time I pass B's house (my crazy neighbor). I try to replace my not so nice thought with, "she's loved by God).

How are things??

much2ponder said...

Snarky...wow! I have heard this word used and it usually makes me laugh a little on the inside just because of the way it sounds, but it is the perfect term for the way I was treated by a women at the book study, "Fight Like a Girl" I am currently facilitating at our church. No matter what I said, it seemed she had some type of opposition to throw back at me. It was as if she had decided before hand that she was not going to listen to a single thing I said. Instead she was going to say something that made me look like I did not know what I was talking about.

But seriously, I came home from that study on Monday night and it was really eating away at me through Tuesday until I made the decision to give this women and her comments to the Lord.

I had to remind myself that it is not really this person that is lashing out at me, but it is the enemy of my soul. I knew that I needed to look at her with eyes of love that could only come from doing my best to understand the Lord's heart for her.

As I prayed blessings over this woman I realized that each time the negative thoughts came into my head concerning our study, I was to lift her up and pray that the Lord would bless her in some profound way.

So that is what I did each time and I find today that the thoughts seem far away and not so harmful. The issues has been minimized. Praise the Lord! I pray the Lord bless her even now. I don't know her circumstances, so I don't want to judge her. Lord have your way in her heart and in mine I pray.

Amanda said...

Snarky. I'm laughing. And that's good! It helps when you're feeling blucky. Thanks for the laugh... and blessings in the prayers for those who hurt us. Good reminder.