Stuff I Wish You'd Quit Saying: No Offense But You Are 1

Stuff I Wish You’d Quit Saying: No Offense But You Are

Stuff I wish you’d quit saying: No Offense But You Are…

Truly, this is a precursor to an insult. The statement, “No offense but…” Was never followed by: “You’re gorgeous! So perfectly thin! And your kids are so well behaved!”

Ever.

I’d rather just be insulted up front. Just surprise me with, “you’re old to be still fighting acne!” The, “No offense, but you should try Proactive!” is the coward’s way.

And if you have the mindset to say: “no offense but,” you know you are about to say something offensive. So, just stop. Think. Now, if you still want to say the offense… Go ahead, but don’t pretend it’s not offensive.

I had a beautician who would say, “no offense but your ends are trashed.” Or “no offense but this color is brassy!” I was offended. Now I see another stylist, and I love him because he’s honest. He might suggest another color or recommend my ends be trimmed, but he never says, “No offense Jami, but you look like a crow is nesting on your head.”

Because: this would be offensive.

Granted sometimes there are barriers to clarity. A few months ago I got my nails done, the Vietnamese woman doing my manicure had very broken English. As she finished my nails, she said, “you want me wax eyebrow?” And I said, “Sure!” And then, once I was on the table, and the light was blaring on my face she said, “I wax lip too.” And I thought she was asking.

She wasn’t.

As she tried to assult my lip with hot wax I objected, “Oh! No thanks!” I am blonde? Why would I need that? And she said, “Oh no. I no asking? How you say? No offense you need lip wax.”

And that made sense to me. I can’t be offended by this. Obviously, she sees something I cannot and apparently she thinks that our language allows criticism with the aforementioned – “No offense…” Now I regularly get my eyebrows and my lip waxed without the awkward un-pleasantries.

I attended a Kairos healing retreat recently and one of the seminars was on breaking off offenses. I hadn’t ever really considered them as baggage. But once the dialogue began I realized that I did own offenses that had been spoken to me. When someone hurts you or embarrasses you it often is something that sticks to you. But no offense comes from the Lord. So owning them is ownership of something from the enemy.

These are deep concepts. Personally, I figure the Blood of Jesus covers that mess, but spiritually speaking, it was quite a freeing practice.

I pray for my children, “Let no word fall on you that does you harm. Only embrace that which blesses, and heals.” Granted, the two littles are fondly referred to as “The Vandals” in our home. But it is a term of endearment – for they do vandalize often. But we embrace and love them. We hold hope that someday they will outgrow their rascality ways. In the meantime, we keep paints, tapes, adhesives, markers, crayons, golf clubs, knives, forks, felines, yard tools, eggs, flammables, radioactive materials, and combustibles under lock and key.

We needn’t explain this to them with evasive pleasantries, “No offense, but you cannot have a fork until your brother is completely healed, and the eye patch comes off.” No, we just state the facts. “You must eat with your hands as long as you continue to behave like a crazed, rabid badger when handed something shiny.”

It is more effective and they know what to expect.

[clickToTweet tweet=”You must eat with your hands as long as you continue to behave like a crazed, rabid badger when handed something shiny” quote=”You must eat with your hands as long as you continue to behave like a crazed, rabid badger when handed something shiny”]

And so, as we enter into the second half of the “31 Days of Stuff I Wish You’d Quit Saying” it is time to cut to the chase. Say what you will. Tell me you love Osteen, or that you’re trying really hard to get pregnant, that I am not that great or that I look like I am expecting. I am sure tomorrow I will feel different and the Lord will have renewed my strength…

No offense… but I’m exhausted.

So then, let us follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. Romans 14:19

May your floors be sticky and your calling ordained! Love, Jami

You simply must read: Three Things You Must Stop Saying

You might also like: A Day in the Life: The Whole Truth

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13 Comments

  1. Cristy Morton on October 14, 2016 at 6:27 am

    I. Love. This!

    • jami_amerine on October 14, 2016 at 6:33 am

      Thanks!

  2. Edith on October 14, 2016 at 7:17 am

    Our god-daughter was called The Terminator at that age…she did outgrow it!

  3. Saritha on October 14, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    This is so beautifully put!! I love it!!

    • jami_amerine on October 14, 2016 at 1:29 pm

      Thanks

  4. Lisa Williamson on October 15, 2016 at 4:11 pm

    This one really made me hee haw! Remind me to tell you about my lip waxing experience a month or so ago… we will just say that I definitely ‘took offense’. Love you!

    • jami_amerine on October 15, 2016 at 4:12 pm

      Love you too…. your on the blog tomorrow. You’ll laugh!

  5. TieceyKaye on October 16, 2016 at 9:50 am

    No offense, but why the heck do you store radioactive materials in your home??? Curious minds want to know! Is this some standard farming/homeschooling equipment I don’t know about? I will not be able to sleep until I know.

    • jami_amerine on October 16, 2016 at 10:09 am

      Science

      • TieceyKaye on October 16, 2016 at 11:44 am

        Oh dear… This answer raises so many more questions…

  6. […] The statement “no offense, but…” is always followed by an offense.  […]

  7. Harold Trammel on July 28, 2017 at 11:22 am

    You can always add the Southern salve to your offensive statement. “You look older than I would have thought. Bless your heart.”

  8. Glenna McKelvie on July 28, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    A hair dresser was once telling me a story about an “obese lady”… she stopped horrified and said, “Oh, no, offense,.. I don”t mean obese like you! I mean REALLY obese.” Patted my arm! Well, my doctor wasn’t saying I was obese (that week) my BMI wasn’t saying I was obese! And YES, I was offended! Moved onto a new hairdresser!

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