Last evening after dinner with friends the conversation turned to spiritual gifts, including web-surveys and the wide range of gifts covered.
I took such a survey a few years ago and it was rather more extensive than most of the web-based ones. I think there were about 32 gifts considered and it referred to scripture to expand on each category. Overall, it was very helpful, but I'm not sure even 32 is enough.
Each of us has very special gifts, but too often we think of prophets and orators and great teachers and think, I don't have anything like that to offer. So I'd like to tell you about Bill. He actually has a number of gifts but those that touch me the most have been pretty modest by the world's standards. When he cooks for the homeless he uses what my mother used to call a generous hand. That means he does not count how few cans of spaghetti sauce "with meat" might cover how much pasta to keep the price to a minimum. He makes hearty, tasty meals committing the hours needed to shop and to cook from scratch and not "stretch with rice." He comes in early to cook a hot breakfast on cold mornings for folks who will spend the daylight hours without shelter. He's kind of picky about things, but that is OK with me because one of the things he is picky about is serving tender, broken souls with dignity and honesty. He runs a tight ship with volunteers and homeless guests alike and all are safer and more blessed because of it.
So today I call you to use one of your gifts, no matter how modest it may be by Hollywood's or Washington's or Major League Baseball's standards. Offer the gift of attention to the lonely, kindness to the distressed, a gentle word to the harried, or a smile with eye-contact to the chronically overlooked. It may be the first step to finding a larger calling, a personal ministry of love.
I took such a survey a few years ago and it was rather more extensive than most of the web-based ones. I think there were about 32 gifts considered and it referred to scripture to expand on each category. Overall, it was very helpful, but I'm not sure even 32 is enough.
Each of us has very special gifts, but too often we think of prophets and orators and great teachers and think, I don't have anything like that to offer. So I'd like to tell you about Bill. He actually has a number of gifts but those that touch me the most have been pretty modest by the world's standards. When he cooks for the homeless he uses what my mother used to call a generous hand. That means he does not count how few cans of spaghetti sauce "with meat" might cover how much pasta to keep the price to a minimum. He makes hearty, tasty meals committing the hours needed to shop and to cook from scratch and not "stretch with rice." He comes in early to cook a hot breakfast on cold mornings for folks who will spend the daylight hours without shelter. He's kind of picky about things, but that is OK with me because one of the things he is picky about is serving tender, broken souls with dignity and honesty. He runs a tight ship with volunteers and homeless guests alike and all are safer and more blessed because of it.
So today I call you to use one of your gifts, no matter how modest it may be by Hollywood's or Washington's or Major League Baseball's standards. Offer the gift of attention to the lonely, kindness to the distressed, a gentle word to the harried, or a smile with eye-contact to the chronically overlooked. It may be the first step to finding a larger calling, a personal ministry of love.
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