CHALLENGE

I have this person in my life who often gives me challenges for various reasons. Today, as we talked, they did that again, and I am not really sure of the reason for this one.... This challenge I told them I would not do, yet here I am doing it, even though I am not sure how to go about it.

I believe I have spoken about spiritual gifts a few times here. God has given us all gifts to use to further His story, His kingdom, and to give Him glory. Everyone can not have the same gift, if they did the world would be a rather strange place. Think about that really... What if every tree was a pine tree, every flower a rose, or the sky was always over cast? What if every person could be an artist, a singer, or a mathematician? God made differences for a reason and in those differences we find our uniqueness.

So the challenge was to talk about my spiritual gifts. If anyone knows me well, they know I do not like to talk about myself. I may vent, or talk about experiences, but I never really talk about who I am. There are many reasons for that and those will stay unsaid. I am finding this hard to do....

I have said before that I am a very hard person to get to know and my past has a lot to do with that. God has given me a gift that is so not in line with who I have allowed myself to become, because of past experiences. One gift He has given me is compassion or mercy, and I know that many people who know me in person are think right now.... um NO! Like I said the outward me has a hard shell and a hard time letting the spiritual me show itself. God is working on that, as I am.

Sometimes, I wonder why God chose to give me this gift, why not administration since I am such a "hard" person to get to know and sometimes rough toward people. And right now I just thought of the reason, because He knew that with all that I have been through in my life, I would have to have compassion for others to make it through the rest of it. It is compassion that draws me to people, the ones that are hurting just like me, the ones that need a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on and someone that will be there when others won't. My compassion is not always outward either, but I can tell you now, if you have asked for prayer, or even look like you need prayer, whether I said I would pray or not... I have. I don't do this in my power because I can't, God has given me this compassion and I praise Him for it, even when it hurts me. There are times I wish I could walk by someone who is hurting, lonely, or needy and feel nothing.... It just does not happen, and I am glad.

My other spiritual gift is teaching. Even though I am not good at writing this blog or getting the point across in a way everyone can understand, this is a form of teaching. I teach as my profession and I teach in Sunday School. It is not in my power that I do anything I do, it is in God's. If I am doing it in my power then it is for nothing, I hope that I am doing it with God and for Him.

Well, I am not sure if this is what you, my challenging friend, expected.... I did what I felt in my heart. Even though I said I wouldn't... Thanks for pushing me.

Lord, thank-you for friends who challenge us, and for gifts that compel us to do work for you. Thank-you for giving me the gift of compassion even though many times it leaves me raw and vulnerable, which I do not like. You knew that I would need compassion for a reason, your ways are not our ways and your thoughts are not our thoughts. Thank-you!

The Quote: I could not find
a quote that conveyed the idea of this blog... but here is something I thought of...

Because of the love and compassion the people of Whoville had for each other... the Grinch's Heart grew 3 sizes... just imagine what compassion can do in real life... 

"And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day." ~ Dr. Suess

The Drawing: