In this season of giving we often think of those brightly wrapped packages under the tree when someone asks us about something we have received. For many when asked about something they have received the first thought that pops into their mind is some sort of a gift. Well, the first thing the popped into my head was some sort of a gift too. The first gift I thought of was my salvation. But I've already wrote about that and I might touch on it again later. So the more I thought about it, the more I realized that what I wanted to write about was some of the gifts that are some of the greatest treasures I've ever received. Those gifts are the spiritual gifts that God bestowed on me.
I'm sure you've heard someone say that a person has a natural gift for something, a natural talent. Sometimes those gifts are talents like dancing, singing, playing a musical instrument, working with tools, writing, painting...you get my point. But sometimes people are talking about gifts that might incorporate one those things but are used in a way to help, support, encourage, grow, and teach.
I believe that God has given me the gift of exhortation
EXHORTATION: Rom. 12:8 - to come along side of someone with words of encouragement, comfort, consolation, and counsel to help them be all God wants them to be.
And mercy
MERCY: Rom. 12:8 - to be sensitive toward those who are suffering, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally, so as to feel genuine sympathy with their misery, speaking words of compassion but more so caring for them with deeds of love to help alleviate their distress
I may have always had a gift for these talents in some way but it wasn't until I really grew in my relationship with Jesus that I really began to see them flourish. And my relationship with Jesus didn't flourish until after I had experienced the crushing, heartbreak of losing my child.
I believe that God gave me these gifts in the form of writing. I've been writing since the very early days of our loss. In those days I don't think my writing was as effective I guess. But as time went on, as I grew to understand my relationship with Jesus and as I came to see our journey in a whole different light, this gift just seem to flourish. When I read over some of the things I've written over the years I'm rather shocked. I didn't struggle in English per se in high school but I certainly was never complimented on my writing style, never told I had a way with words.
Now I like to take the words I can write and use them to offer encouragement, support and hope to those who are struggling. I often start to write to someone with a thought of what I want to say and marvel at how it all comes to together. It’s like the holy spirit gives me the words to say. I see this even more in my blog posts. I often find myself drawn to a song, a picture or a comment that someone else has made and feel the pull to get my pen (ok computer) and write. I won’t always even know why I want to write or what I want to write about but just feel drawn to do it. And as I put my feelings and thoughts on paper it’s like I don’t even have control over my hands. The words just flow naturally out and rarely require editing for anything other than spelling mistakes. And thankfully, most times my words are well received and offer encouragement, hope and sometimes clarity in regards to faith questions to those who read them.
I, unfortunately don’t use my gifts often enough in the form of blogging but I think, I hope, that I am using them in the world of social media in a way that offers people something to think about, something to find hope and encouragement in. I think I do this because I seem to hear compliments from others and even get tagged in words of thanks from members of the groups I’m in….which can feel weird at times. It’s again like being told I am strong or a blessing. It’s hard to accept thanks or compliments about something you do naturally, that you do because it’s what feels right.
Regardless though I am very grateful for the gifts of exhortation and mercy for what they can offer others. If I can do anything to help someone else find comfort, hope, peace or just even feel listened to and loved, then I know that these are definitely gifts from God and are being used just how He intended.
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