The Gossip Ball

Ann has a brand new ball, she likes to roll it and watch its colors spin as it moves along the floor. She takes very good care of it so that it will always look exactly the same as it did when she got it.

Ann has a good friend named Barbara. Barbara knows Ann got a new ball and asks to see it. Ann is not comfortable sharing the ball with Barbara - but reluctantly - she does. Soon Barbara has the ball in her hands and is bouncing it, trying to see how high she can make it go.

Barbara has a friend named Corky. She sees Corky and quickly runs to show him the new ball. Corky admires the ball, he grabs it and immediately begins trying to spin it on his index finger. He is not very good, he loses the ball and it rolls away.

David is standing right in the path of the rolling ball and picks it up. He heads straight for the basketball hoop - dribbling the ball as he goes. David really loves to play basketball, but he needs lots of practice and hits the rim more often than not. While he is trying one of his 'fancy' moves someone brushes past him.

Eddie runs by David and quickly yanks the ball from his hands. Eddie is not a happy person. He doesn't like anyone and no one likes him. As soon as the ball is in his posession his eyes narrow and he slowly looks to see who is close by. Who can he hit with the ball? Who can he hurt that won't hurt him back? Ah - he found his target!

"Ouch!" Frankie yells. That ball hit pretty hard, but seeing who threw it makes him just hold on to it and turn away. No sense starting any more trouble. Frankie takes the ball and runs to the swimming pool. In he jumps and finds his friend Greta. They spend a long time playing with the ball in the pool. When Frankie has to go home he leaves the ball with Greta.

When Greta leaves she takes the ball home with her. Greta lives next door to Ann. They are not best friends, but they are friends. Greta has time - so she goes to Ann's house to see if she wants to play ball with her. When Ann comes to the door Greta holds the ball out to show her.

Ann began to cry. This was the ball she had been so careful with. This was the beautiful ball she had watched spinning across the floor - showing off its many colors, so very different now. The colors were not bright and the surface was no longer shiney. It was scratched, the deep cuts filled were with dirt and mud and even tiny stones. It was hard to even recognize that it was the same ball. Each person had changed it in some way.

The Gossiper

A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a neighbor.
Within a few days the whole community knew the story.  The
person it concerned was deeply hurt and offended.  Later the
woman responsible for spreading the rumor learned that it
was completely untrue.  She was very sorry and went to a
wise old sage to find out what she could do to repair the damage.

"Go to the marketplace," he said, "and purchase a
chicken, and have it killed.  Then on your way home, pluck
its feathers and drop them one by one along the road."
Although surprised by this advice, the woman did what she was told.

The next day the wise man said, "Now go and collect all
those feathers you dropped yesterday and bring them back to me.

"The woman followed the same road, but to her dismay,
the wind had blown the feathers all away.  After searching
for hours, she returned with only three in her hand.  "You
see," said the old sage, "it's easy to drop them, but it's
impossible to get them back. 

So it is with gossip.  It  doesn't take much to spread a rumor,
but once you do, you can never completely undo the wrong."

Proverbs 11:13
Whoever gossips gives away secrets,
but whoever is trustworthy in spirit can keep a secret.

Proverbs 17:9
Whoever forgives an offense seeks love,
but whoever keeps bringing up the issue separates the closest of friends.


Proverbs 20:19
A gossip betrays a confidence;
so avoid a man who talks too much.


Proverbs 26:20
Without wood a fire goes out;
without gossip a quarrel dies down.


Proverbs 10:19
Sin is unavoidable when there is much talk,
but whoever seals his lips is wise.


Proverbs 29:11
A fool expresses all his emotions,
but a wise person controls them.


Eccles. 5:3
Daydreaming comes when there are too many worries.
Careless speaking comes when there are too many words.


The scriptures above from the NIV or God's Word translations.

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