Gifts- To Be of Use

Excerpt from "To Be of Use" (See entire poem by Marge Piercy)

Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

The Gift of Prayer
Jeremiah 41:1-42:22

"Then Jeremiah the prophet answered, 'I understand what you want me to do. I will pray to the Lord your God as you have asked. I will tell you everything he says and not hide anything from you.'" (Jeremiah 42:5)

The gift of prayer reminds me of a story I heard in a sermon once... let us digress...

There were four men (one of them the pastor) on a road trip somewhere, and they stopped at a diner that was advertising a special on chocolate chip pancakes. The place was packed with hungry travelers and a waitress that was a bit more than flustered hurriedly took their order. After delivering their pancakes, the four men bowed their heads to pray as the waitress started to walk away. The woman turned on her heels, put her hand on her hip and said, "If you're looking for the chocolate chips, they're all on the bottom!"

How unfortunate that prayer- our blessed opportunity for connecting to God- has become such a rarity that it may not even be recognized around the dinner table. While I believe that everyone desperately needs prayer, I recognize that some people have a special gift for expressing their prayers in words. Personally, I tend to pray more with my heart... recognizing that God knows how to fix my imperfect words, thoughts, hopes and desires.

The Gift of Obedience
Psalm 119:89-96

"I will never forget your orders, because you have given me life by them." (Psalm 119:93)

Trust and obey- like the Racabite family. Seems so difficult in this day in age for two reasons that I can think of presently. First of all, we're in an era that encourages questioning authority. Bad? I don't know... because secondly, some of that authority is corrupt and has lost our trust. But it's important to remember that God's orders, God's ways, God's laws are so different. A law that comes from life and love is trustworthy and perfect and not of this world. So, help me to treat your way differently God, and always obey Your voice.

The Unique Gifts We Are Called to Use
2 Timothy 1:1-18

"Keep using the gift God gave you... Let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire." (2 Timothy 1:6)

In his book, The Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne mentions message therapists "who spend days massaging the tired feet of homeless folks" and manicurists "who go to old folks homes and ask which ladies have no visitors or family, and then they sit with them, laugh, tell stories, and do their nails" (137). How beautiful when we see brothers and sisters in Christ taking care of one another, and I can only think to ask... what is my special gift that God has given me?

It reminds me of the children's song:
What can I give Him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would give a lamb.
If I were a wiseman, I would do my part.
Yet what I can give Him, I'll give my heart.

While I'm not quite sure what my special and unique gift is, at least I can give my heart to people and love them as you taught us, Lord. May you help me as I let my gifts grow, to be of use in your kingdom, oh God.