Taking Ownership of the Gifts God has blessed us with...September 8

Taking Ownership of the Gifts God has blessed us with…

It has been said that if you don’t use the talents God gives you, then they will disappear. There is truth to the fact that if you don’t’ practice singing on a regular basis then you won’t be as good of a singer.
I also believe that God will give you gifts along the way; some people refer to them as blessings. He gives you the gifts He wants you to have to see how you will care for them. You may have your heart and mind set on something else at the time, but I believe that it is what you do with the gift in hand that determines whether or not you will receive your greatest blessings.

Snow White whistled while she worked

In church we learn of Saint Theresa who believed it is important to serve God with the little things we do. It is not enough to do the chores but to do them in a pleasant manner…think of Snow White, if you will, who whistled while she worked.
It is a similar situation when we take on a task that doesn’t rightly belong to us. We may take on raising a child that belongs to another man, or more simply, cleaning a house that belongs to someone else.
The house does not belong to you. The point has been driven home time and again, but it is a place for you to rest your head when you have had no other. Perhaps taking a moment to care for this dwelling and the things that are broken in it will show you as a good Steward not to anyone else but to the Lord himself.
As we worked on the house taking time to do work that the homeowner herself would not do, I couldn’t help but think that one day she might come in and take the paper towels or the furniture polish or the soup cans. I couldn’t help but think that she would complain that something was out of place. I couldn’t help thinking that she would take credit for the fact that the place smelled of lemons, oranges and flowers. Or that JJ would get frustrated at putting in so much effort to fix a vacuum cleaner that would never be his. I couldn’t help but think that she would come in and take credit for it all, despite the fact that she abandoned it a couple of months ago.
And as we all worked together—ER and AJ in the living room, JJ on floors and trash, me on dishes, laundry and bathroom, and MD on cans—I couldn’t help but being at peace about it all. So what if she took it all away? God was smiling on us. I felt he was saying, “Thank you for taking care of my blessing. One day I will bless you again with your heart’s desire.”

Dear Lord, bless us with a home 

in which we can share our Christian love 

with you, with each other, and with our children. 

Amen