What is the gift of tongs?

The gift of tongs is miraculous empowerment to know the precise moment to flip meats while grilling. As with any gift of the spirit, this is meant to be used in a controlled and appropriate way. Flipping meat over and over, chaotically, with no discernable purpose, is not a legitimate expression of the gift of tongs. The tongs-user might not fully understand why they are turning the meat over at that moment—but when it's guided by God, that will result in the perfect done-ness for whoever is meant to receive that portion. As with the spiritual gift of tongues, this sensibility is key to identifying a true gift of tongs; with no one present who wants that exact level of char, the person is just fiddling around with oversized tweezers.

Controversy abounds over this miraculous sign. Tradition assumes only men can possess the gift of tongs; therefore, things like grilling would be under their God-given discretion. Women have long countered that men often claim the gift of tongs, while being suspiciously unlikely to demonstrate other spiritual gifts such as buying the groceries, graciously accepting his sister-in-law's store-bought potato salad, cleaning the kitchen after the meal, or knowing how many is too many hotdogs.

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