What is YOUR gift?

My last blog took off and had a life of it's own.  I planned to write about being too hard on ourselves.  Instead, I ended up venting about people who are blind to both sides of very important issues in our society.

I get very frustrated at narrow-mindedness.  So, I had to get it out.  My family always told me that you need to pick sides.  That when you are in the middle you will be ran over.  I say, that when you are in the middle you can reach out to others who come to the middle and get some things done.  I believe it, so I say it. On top of that, I want to try to teach it!  That is a part of my very fiber.

I have the gifts of evangelism, teaching, and preaching, and creative communication.  This is according to two different gifts activities I have done through the years.  If you have never taken a gifts class or read a gifts book, then you may not understand what I mean.  In the Christian faith, we are taught, in the Bible (yes, I capitalize it!) that we all have gifts; not everyone can be a hand, a foot, or a head.  But, when the gifts of believers come together to be the Body of Christ, in this world, we can get things done -- This is what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.  Anyway, there are things you can do to discover your gifts if you do not know them.  I have always known I have strength of compassion.  I have always been told I wear my feelings on my sleeves, that I am too sensitive, and care too much about others.  But, I didn't know about the evangelism, teaching, preaching and creative communication until 15 years ago or so.

Evangelism is the ability, almost NEED, to share what you know, feel, and believe.  I am always sharing facts about the body (I have a degree in biology and PE/Health), bacteria, something I read and so forth.  Joey and the girls call these "Regina's facts!"  :-)  I get so excited that I want you to know it too.  This is closely related to teaching, preaching, and creatively communicating.

If I understand it, I can teach it.  Don't know why, I just can.  Math, I do not understand, so I cannot teach that.  But, science, history, reading, writing… I understand.  I don't think I ever made anything but A's, and maybe a couple of B's, on the papers I wrote in undergrad and grad school.  I have taught all three of my girls and hundreds of biology and health students how to write a sound essay or or research paper, even though my degree was not English.  Now, I bet you have found mistakes, especially typos, I always prefer an editor because I am a big picture person and can look over details.  Details… NOT MY GIFT OR TALENT. Sharing, teaching, creating artistic dances, paintings, poems…Those are gifts or talents for me.  Teaching and sharing are in my blood.  Thus this blog.  I want to share the things I know and feel.  Maybe, by doing so, I can help someone, either with a problem or help them to think. All of the gifts above, strength of compassion, teaching a so forth can be put to use on the page!

Joey has the gift of administration.  He can keep things organized, scheduled, and under control (but not in an OCD, sick way).  I tease him about being a control freak.  He even laughs at the need to control things.  But, he doesn't do it to the point of being mean or pushy.  He just takes care of things!  He likes to, almost needs to take care of things. He also helps his girls take care of things.  A friend says Joey has been swimming in a river of estrogen since we had our first daughter.  But, he is calm and handles it.  The drama, the tears, the scatter-brained wife and couple of girls.  He is a born leader.  He is a thinker and a get 'er done kind of man!  And, yet he has a gift of patience.  He may not admit to it, but you live with three drama queen daughters and one drama queen wife and see if YOU have the patents for it.  We all adore him!  That says a lot.

Knowing our gifts as well as our weaknesses is important.  If you know what you are good at and then learn to accept the gifts and use those gifts, you will feel so much better about yourself.  Knowing your weaknesses will let you know when to ask for help so you will not royally screw something up and then beat yourself up for days, weeks or years! The Bible says that you can ask for gifts and that to you can receive more gifts as you perform well with the ones you start with.  That is the basis of the story of the talents.  The men who did something with their gifts/talents (money) were given more in which to be entrusted. The one who buried his, no go.  His were taken away.

As far as weaknesses, accept those too.  OOPH!  That would make you vulnerable.  Well, I have news for you!  WE ALL MESS UP!  WE ALL HAVE WEAKNESSES.  WE CANNOT DO EVERYTING!

ONe of the things I can't stand the most about myself is my scattered-ness. I get caught up in the NOW, and then forget what I want to do AND what I ought to do.  For example:  I  can have something on my calendar.  I can talk about it and plan for it and then forget five minutes before.  On Wednesdays, I have a memo that pops up on my calendar that I have bus duty the next day.  I stop, immediately, jot down a note,  and tape it to my purse.  Then, when I get in my car, I stick it to the radio and then come home and stick it to the coffee pot.  I even ask Joey to remind me (He has a steel trap in his brain for details like that).  This I do every week.  Why?  Because I forgot bus duty one week.  I was awake.  I could have been there, I just forgot.  It is a different routine than the other days.

I use post-it-notes religiously and love that my Outlook sends entries to my phone!  But, I still make mistakes and have to apologize and move on.  The good news is that I have learned to laugh about this weakness MOST OF THE TIME! And, so have the people who love me and know me best.

Strength of compassion can make others think you are too weak or too sensitive, because you wear your feelings on your sleeve.  It can also help you be an excellent counselor, teacher, nurse, or doctor.  The gift of service can help you make food for people that are sick or struggling.  That is the gift I want most, but thus far, with my scattered brain I don't remember until I am in bed or at work.  I get so caught up in the moment it is hard to for to think ahead.  I guess I could put things on my calendar and then tape a post-it to my purse!?!?

What are your gifts?  Do you know? Ask others.  They know you. You can think about the ways in which you have been complimented. Buy a book about gifts and talents.  Develop your gifts.  Share them, even if it means sharing about left and right wing issues that could make people get angry with you!

We could get into a debate as to which traits are gifts and which ones are talents.  I don't like to split hairs like that.  If you read my last blog you know that.  Gifts, talents, abilities… six one half a dozen the other. But, give yourself credit for your gifts.  Believe in your gifts.  they were given to you to use!  You are amazing.  You have gifts and experiences like no other person!  Yes, someone may have experienced this or that like you, but… YOU ARE THE ONLY YOU EVER!!! That is pretty amazing and awesome!