Posted by thistle on November 07, 2004 at 08:15:28:
In Reply to: the power of God on the inside posted by J on November 05, 2004 at 12:59:58:
Good food for thought. I only wish our gifts were evident to all of us. I'm way too old to have no clue. Sometimes I feel like I've missed an important part of the developmental process or that I somehow wounded my psyche in such a manner that prevents me from seeing. Regardless, I feel deaf, blind, naked, and stupid (as some guy I know used to often say).
: I was just praying today, and I was considering God's power. I thought about how God created us as individuals and has granted us certain gifts / "powers" to bless others. I have been yearning to understand and implement the power that He has put in me, and in my yearning, I thought of this little analogy...
: *** ***
: Imagine a girl named "Hope." Ever since she was a small child, she had an affinity for younger children. Hope could walk up to children she never met and immediately have them playing and laughing within minutes. One time, at the playground, Hope walked into a group and started an impromptu game of "duck, duck, goose" and the mother of two of the children turned to Hope's mother to say that she had never seen her children settle down like they did with Hope.
: Years later, when Hope was a teenager, she was able to pick up extra work as a babysitter. She was so good at it that she stayed busy with different families all week. The children she watched loved her very much, and when she finally went off to college, she spent several weeks preparing the tearful children for her move.
: After Hope graduated college and began her career, she often wondered about her gifts and talents (This was many years and experiences later). She wondered how to use her abilities in a way that would demonstrate God's power in her life. Hope found many outlets for her skills, writing, painting, and music, and although she had talent in these areas, she never felt satisified that she had "locked in" to the power.
: *** ***
: I don't really have a good conclusion to this story. I think that I am on a similar search in my life, although my situation seems a bit more vague than Hope's (i.e. she has a natural gift in her ability to bring joy into the lives of children).
: Another thought I had when considering this story is that many times we are given special abilities and we do not share these primarily because we do not put ourselves in an environment to allow them to flow out and bless others.
: I hope you enjoyed this story, although it may seem a bit corny ;-).
: Please reply if you like, or even help me finish the story...
: Hugs!
: J