Lisa notes

Don’t Be Silent

Which side are you typically on?

(1) You speak up very quickly.
Opening your mouth comes easily, and sometimes gets you in trouble.

(2) You’re reluctant to voice your opinion too soon.
You’d rather think about it first, but sometimes that means you miss the opportunity altogether.

Kathy Khang addresses both sides in her new book, Raise Your Voice.

As an Asian American, she erred much of her early life on the quiet side. But as she aged, she learned that silence carries a risk.

She shares in this book that as God’s creation, we aren’t meant to be silent. All of creation communicates, and we need to speak up, too.

“We all need to understand that voice, identity, and agency are given by God but often are underdeveloped or ignored in people on the margins. We need to be seen and heard.“

That doesn’t mean we become abrasive.

Speaking up should not create more divisions or cause more pain. To the contrary, “speaking up can be an avenue of truth and healing,” bringing injustice and sin to the forefront where it can be corrected.

“I choose to speak up, over and over again, even when it’s awkward because awkwardness is easier to overcome than allowing injustice to continue.”

How to Speak Up

Kathy shares a list of things to consider before we speak up, as we speak up, and after we speak up. Here are a few items from these sections.

Before You Speak Up:

• Pray
• Do your research
• Prepare your talking points

While You Speak Up:

• Pray
• Breathe
• Ask questions

After You Speak Up:

• Pray
• Follow up
• Start all over again

Speak Up Online

But speaking up isn’t just for IRL situations. We use our voice again and again in online venues as well.

In the video I give you some of Kathy’s tips for online communication. (I originally shared this video on Monday’s post on 5 Books I Recommend.)

I recently joined a new Facebook group mentioned in Raise Your Voice called Be the Bridge to Racial Unity. It’s the online arm of Be the Bridge, a website dedicated to equipping racial bridge building in the church.

I’m currently one month into the three-month quiet stage of the Facebook group. For the first three months, you’re asked to do active listening there—no posting or commenting.

Just this:

“Read. Watch. Learn. Feel. Examine yourself. Wrestle with God.”

This is good advice both for online interactions and in-real-life conversations. First listen. But then speak.

Gospel-Centered

Whichever way we choose to speak up, this is a truth worth remembering:

“Speaking up is never about creating conflict or being disruptive just to shake things up and leave a mess. Speaking up is always about the gospel—speaking and painting a picture of truth, wholeness, and hope.”

Regardless of your natural tendency to speak up quickly or slowly, speak up wisely. That’s the best way to make a difference.

* * *

Do you tend to react too quickly or too slowly? Please share in the comments.

Learn more about Raise Your Voice here.

My thanks to NetGalley
for the review copy of this book

My granddaughter is 9 months old now. We’ve already read many, many books together.

The latest book I want to show her is “You Are: Speaking God’s Word Over Your Children” by Emily Assell.

On the outside, it’s a sturdy board book with pages that lay flat (always a bonus!). The illustrations by Lauren Copple of animals in nature are beautifully simple with a touch of whimsy.

But the inside content is also special. Each page has a one-line message to a child about their worth, with a Bible verse printed underneath.

While I think the words themselves may be too complex for a little one to understand (they are abstract and dense, “Courageous one, you are an overcomer“), the reader can rephrase the messages using age-appropriate words.

I’ve packed this book in my suitcase for my next visit to my grandbaby’s house. She won’t understand the words at this age, but as we sit together and look at the pictures and talk, I hope she experiences the security of being loved.

* * *

Do you have a favorite children’s book that you like to read to a child again and again? Please share in the comments.

My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers
for the review copy of this book