Tell me if you’ve been here before…
A birthday is coming up for someone very special in your life. You spend a great deal of time, energy and thought to pick out the absolute best, perfect gift for this person. You are so very tickled with your choice that you cannot wait for the recipient to unwrap it, and swoon at its awesomeness, and make high-pitched funny sounds of joy, like “SQUEEEEEEEE”!
The day arrives. You give them the present, and…well, they seem appreciative. You just thought that they would be more excited, but perhaps they just need to get it out of the box and use it to see what an inspired choice it was.
Time passes.
You visit this person again, only to discover by accident that your gift, that unique choice, is stuffed in the back of the closet with the dirty sneakers.
*SIGH*
What do you think? Are you angry? Are you disappointed?
I gently invite you today to think about all the amazing gifts that you, dear reader, possess, that God has presented you with, that you have never opened.
It’s ok to look for them, even if you’ve never had a relationship with Him, and never realized that He might actually have given you some pretty special talents. Even if you think you are not deserving, it’s ok. He’s not mad at you. He loves you and misses you, and wants you to lead a full, meaningful and  joyful life.
You may have spent so much time watching everyone else open gifts, and being jealous of what they received, that you have never taken the time to check to see if there is anything there with your name on the tag. Perhaps you have believed that you didn’t have anything that you are really good at, that you are not gifted. I can sense a classic shoulder shrug in some of you as you think “Oh, well. What’s new. So I’m not special and I can’t do anything really well. I am just ordinary. There is nothing special about me.”
Nothing. Special.
Oh, dear readers, my heart aches for you if this nondescript place is where you live.
I urge you to take the time to learn about yourself. To pray, to read, to work with someone, to discover what amazing skills, talents and abilities are lying dormant within you, just waiting to be unwrapped and put to use.
Go to that closet, open that door and see what unique treasures lie within. I think you will find yourself being amazed and delighted, and maybe even making those exclamations of joy!
Hi Kim,
Great story.
Just imagine the expression of disappointment the gift-giver would have as she realizes her present was rejected…
Now imagine God’s expression when we reject the gifts that He has freely given us.
There are wonderful tools available to help people get a better understanding of their best features and enduring qualities. I think we have a responsibility to not only uncover them, but to also harness them.