Unwrapping God's Gift

      You know those mornings when God sets before you exactly what you needed to hear?  Today was one of those mornings.  I wanted to share what my devotional said:

      “I have given you the gift of eternal life, but My giving does not stop there.  Inside of you is a supernatural surprise—a gift that is waiting to be unwrapped…by you.

      Yes, it’s there.  It’s hidden behind dreams waiting to be pursued.  Swallowed up by daily distractions and drowned by disappointment. 

      Let Me help you clear out the clutter and find your gift.  You’ll find it in that place in life that brings you the greatest joy, that place where you soul longs to be, that work your hands love to do.  

But this gift that I’ve given to you is not just for you.  I have blessed you to be a blessing to others.  When you find your gift, I will take it and multiply it beyond what you could ever imagine.  So ask Me, and I will help you open your gift so that you can give it away to the world—not to impress—but to bless.”

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

      My favorite part about people is how different we all are.  I have friends who were born to be writers, teachers, photographers, musicians, lawyers, contractors, chefs and many, many more things.

      I have a friend who finally, after trying out different majors, decided to be a firefighter, why, because he found what his greatest enjoyment was, saving people.  He found the job that brought him the greatest joy and he went for it.  The best part about his story so far is that he failed his last test in his EMT training, but did he let that stop him from pursuing the gift he knew God had given him?  Nope!  He went back, worked harder and faster and by the end he passed the test and is still working toward the shiny, red truck. Haha.

      God doesn’t just hand us our “gift” and a certificate that says “it’s as easy as pie now!”  First off, baking pie isn’t easy, so I’m not sure how that saying came about. haha  Secondly, we enjoy things so much more when we put an effort into them.  We have to work hard and work for the Lord.  E.E. Cummings said, “It takes courage to grow up and be who you really are.” It’s a journey to uncover our gift, it’s a journey to discover how to use them, and it’s a journey to finally be able to bless others by it. 

So don’t stop searching for your gift; seek God’s will, find what you enjoy, and never, ever give it up, pursue it against all odds.   “You were made to fill a purpose that only you can do.”