January 4: Using My Talents

I love to scrapbook! It is something I am passionate about and it is a hobby that both relaxes and rejuvenates me. Not to mention that I am quite good at it (if I do so humbly say so myself).  A couple of years ago, I had been hired by a neighbor to complete her wedding scrapbook. I was quite pleased with how the scrapbook turned out. It was exactly what my neighbor had asked for and she too was pleased with the finished product. However, she did not want to journal in the journaling boxes I left scattered throughout the book as we had originally planned. Instead, she wanted me to do the journaling for her because she did not like her own handwriting. I have been extremely busy with school and such so I had not had a chance to complete the task for quite some time. Once my Christmas break came around, I called her up to finish the scrapbook. On Tuesday morning, I went to her house and we worked for a few hours on finishing the book. Instead of getting mad at the fact that I had more work to do on the book, I just tried to take it in stride and embrace the opportunity to get to know her better and be a good neighbor. We had a nice conversation and enjoyed the time together.

On Sunday, I will be attending a dual baby shower for two ladies at my church. I have been making a scrapbook for each of them as a gift. So, on Tuesday as I worked on these scrapbooks, I tried to really focus on giving thanks to God for my talents and to use the skills I have as a way of blessing people. In keeping with the idea of a prayer shawl (where you pray for the recipient as you make the shawl), I prayed for the babies and the families receiving the scrapbooks as I assembled the pages. It was neat to focus on praying for the baby while I created something very personal. I hope the mothers will enjoy the scrapbooks as much as I enjoyed making them. 

I had an great conversation on the phone with my step-brother last night. Among many other things, we were talking about how much we both wish we could sing so we could be part of the praise and worship teams at church. We agreed that sometimes it is hard to pinpoint what talents you possess and how to use them to glorify God. Some talents are more obvious than others: singing, dancing, playing an instrument, etc. But other talents are less visible or widely viewed as a talent...like scrapbooking. I had not really thought of scrapbooking as a talent before, rather just a hobby. I also had not thought of it as a way to show love to others or to glorify God. After I realized that scrapbooking is both a hobby and a talent I possess, I started to examine my life to see what other areas I am overlooking. Here's a snippet of what I came up with...

God created each of us with a unique set of talents, gifts and abilities. So, I might not be a talented singer, but I certainly have the ability to other things. I do not so much enjoy cleaning, but I am really good at it (when I actually do it!) because I pay strong attention to detail. Right now my mom and stepdad are out of town. I am embracing the fact that I am able to clean, and I am planning on spending some time next week using my elbow grease because I know what a relief it will be for them to come home to a clean house. No, I am not a "talented" cleaner, but I am able to do it and to bless someone as a a result.  There are a lot of things I can do because of the unique set of talents, gifts, and abilities God blessed me with. Now, it's just up to me to identify and use them. It's kind of exciting to see what else I will be able to do in the future. I am so thankful for the ability to do things and to bless others and out of that thankfulness comes the giving.

I am looking forward to returning the finished scrapbook to my neighbor. I know she will be so happy now that her precious wedding pictures are preserved in an album instead of sitting in an old shoebox. I know that this simple book will put a smile on her face. In addition, I am looking forward to giving the scrapbooks to the moms at the baby shower. What they will see is a scrapbook to preserve memories. What they don't know is that I spent hours praying for each of them by name. That is something that does not come with a bow. It'll be my little secret as I watch them flip the pages of the baby book. 

Looking at myself is only the first step. I need to be more aware of the talents, gifts and abilities of others. It is important to celebrate how God created each of us, for we are wonderfully made! Often times I find myself appreciating the talent or gift someone else possess but I keep these thoughts to myself. I am going to start to make a point of celebrating the talents, gifts and abilities of others.

For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, 

          I know that full well. 
         
                                    ----Psalm 139:13-14