Tackling The Issue: Saying What Needs To Be Said
“How can I deal with this girl? She’s loud, she’s disruptive, she just blurts stuff out. And the stuff she says isn’t even on the topic we’re discussing!”
My teenage son was a small group leader in our church youth group. This girl in his group was a weekly problem. He wanted to have a successful, meaningful group experience, but this one girl made it so hard.
“I feel like I should talk to her about it, Dad. But I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to hurt her feelings. I don’t want her to get hurt, go home, and never come back. But it’s not fair to the rest of the group to let things continue the way they are, either. Should I talk to her? And if I do talk to her, what should I say?”
Sometimes, a conversation needs to happen. The topic can’t be ignored. It won’t go away. Serious consequences may hang in the balance. With this three part series, we’re looking at a Christ-like way to have that difficult conversation.
In Part 1, we learned to de-fuse the argument. Keep silent. Refuse to put fuel on the fire. The conversation can’t be conducted in an explosive atmosphere. Wait.
In Part 2, we learned to build and strengthen the relationship so that the conversation can…