Gifts

Happy Father’s Day readers. And Happy Juneteenth.

I could go into some pithy or eloquent blog post about fathers about now…. or write something on the new Federal holiday of Juneteenth. But I am not going to today. It’s not what is on my mind. But I wanted to acknowledge those two holidays since they are both today.

For the past three Sundays, I have seriously come out of my comfort zone and have become what is known as the worship leader at my little church here in my swath of the Midwest. I have stood at the front of the church, calling others to worship, offering meditation for our collection, and reading both the Scripture for the day and prayers.

A year ago, I would not have even thought to do that. I would have been too terrified. I still am terrified to be in front of the church, speaking what I write each week, but I also have been told that I am good at it. It helps I am a writer, for I merely compose what I need to speak and then practice reading it. The speaking classes I took in high school and college help too.

I am told it is one of my gifts…. this speaking aloud the words that float in my head.

For too long, I have tried to hide this.

I have two friends who are musicians, though neither are famous enough that they can yet earn a living from their skills. They love creating their work and playing it for others. I follow both of them on Spotify and have done shout ours for both. They both have gifts they enjoy using for the sake of others’ enjoyment. They both have talents they pursue. They don’t try to hide it.

A wonderful woman in my church is a talented basket maker. Nothing in basket weaving is too complicated for her. I am amazed at her skills myself, for that kind of patience and talent is beyond me. She has made many gifts for people over the years, putting her own expertise to work. And I know she has taught others the enjoyment of this talent.

I have a good friend who has a knack for caring for animals. She has numerous pets, and is someone I seek advice for on my cats (and previous pets I’ve owned, including a crawdad and goldfish). She just seems to know how to help them out and also how to communicate with them. She exudes her joy and her love for animals as she does this.

Everyone has a gift for something. Perhaps you are skilled at writing. Perhaps, patience is more your strong suit. Perhaps you are an expert in prepping skills and radio communications. Or maybe, your talent is in being there for others when they need a shoulder to cry on.

What’s nice about these gifts and talents is that no matter how much you share them, you always have them. In fact, the more you use your intangible gifts, the more they multiply and become better and stronger.

So use your gifts. Share them with others. Don’t hide them under a bushel where they can’t esacpe.

So while I am still terrified to be up front at my little church, I still do it, for it is part of my way of sharing my gifts with my little part of the world

This YouTube clip has a shout out from my pastor about me today about the gifts we share in our church. And yes, I am blogging about it, as I do every Sunday. Because this is part of my own story, the one I write of my life, just as I write the stories of my characters in my Portals Series. It’s part of the magic that makes me ….. me.

Whatever your gifts, your talents, your skills…… I hope you try to share them too. And if you don’t know what they are, maybe you just haven’t discovered them yet.

But you will.

---

If you liked this blog post and wanted to see some of the fantasy works I have written, check out my Portals Series.

If you are interested in my other online endeavors, check out the drop down menu to see more.

And as always, #writeyourownstory