Black Women Have It Going On

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.” — Proverbs 18:15

We’ve covered a lot of ground this week. From my backyard sanctuary to the “fence saga,” we’ve looked at behaviors that do more than just “stick in my craw”—they provide a masterclass in how people navigate life when they prioritize image over integrity.

Let’s review the “dots” we’ve connected so far:

• Monday: We saw the $10,000 smile. A neighbor who performed a “down on his luck” routine to avoid a shared fence repair, only to later brag about dropping five figures on his wife’s new teeth.
• Tuesday: we looked at Spiritual Performance. How someone can use “God-talk” as a shield while their own “Sanford and Son” yard proves they aren’t tending to their own blessings.
• Wednesday: We navigated Conversational Moving Targets. The “know-it-all” who critiques your garden until you show expertise, then quickly shifts the subject to maintain a mask of superiority.
• Thursday: we witnessed the Weaponized Wag. A passive-aggressive attempt to use a barking dog to steal my peace—a tactic that eventually boomeranged right back into their own living room.

When you step back and look at the whole picture, you see the common thread: the Poor-Mouth Defense.

“Poor-mouthing” isn’t just about money; it’s a habitual plea of inadequacy used as an excuse to avoid responsibility or to manipulate sympathy. Whether it’s acting broke to avoid a bill or acting “victimized” to justify a barking dog, it’s all the same strategy. It’s a way to lower your expectations so they can keep their resources—and their ego—entirely for themselves.

As I sit in my backyard, I realize that the fence isn’t the problem. The problem is a heart that is so busy “crying poor” that it has no room for the true riches of honesty, stewardship, and neighborly love.

Connecting the Dots:
Recognizing the “Poor-Mouth” pattern allows you to stop being a “subsidizer” of someone else’s dysfunction. When people show you that they have plenty for their luxuries but “nothing” for their obligations, they aren’t asking for help—they are asking for a free pass. Critical thinking helps us see that we can be compassionate without being a doormat.

The Takeaway:
You don’t owe anyone a discount on your peace or your principles just because they’ve mastered the art of “poor-mouthing”. Keep tending to your garden, keep your boundaries high, and remember that a beautiful life is built on integrity, not on excuses.

Daily Prayer:
Lord, thank You for the clarity I’ve found this week. Help me to be a person of my word, one whose “yes” is yes and whose “no” is no. Give me the wisdom to see through the masks of “strategic poverty” and the courage to hold onto my peace. May my life be a testimony of true wealth—the kind that comes from a clean heart and a faithful spirit. Amen.