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Day 11: Your Gifts and My Gifts

What are you taking time to learn today?  Are you grateful for the ability to learn?  As I was working on a personal project, I was struck with the sudden thought of how far I’ve come in learning how to use a particular program on my computer.  This really made me chuckle a bit, because I have barely scraped the surface of the program’s capabilities.  However, through trial and error and several online videos, I have successfully completed a variety of projects and have been able to turn this knowledge into service. 

As a teacher, I try to emphasize to my students that being different is good.  We are all given different talents and interests.  I encounter discouraged students because a certain subject doesn’t come easy for them.  However, they happen to be an incredibly talented musician.  I want my students to be grateful for the talents they do have and to embrace their differences and hone their abilities that drive their passion.

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, the apostle Paul is addressing a church in Corinth: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”  Our abilities and talents all come from the Lord.  He has a purpose for those gifts and He wants us to use them to serve Him.  I am so grateful to still be discovering my various gifts.  I’m grateful that I can take those gifts and give back to my church and my community.  For so long, service seemed to be in the form of either physical labor or a monetary gift.  It is refreshing to realize how much more I can give with my other talents; talents that I am still developing; talents given to me from the Lord. 

Be grateful for your differences.  Be grateful for your interests.  Be grateful for the opportunities to learn and grow.  Be grateful for life’s challenges that push you to be an even better person than you were before.  And remember to praise the Lord for ability to continually learn.  #livewithagratefulheart 
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