I love Sunday! It’s the only time when I have my whole family around. I also feel the burdens of work, housekeeping, and social media melt away.
I enjoy going to church and getting spiritually refreshed for the upcoming week, but this hasn’t always been the case. I’ve figured out that it’s up to me to make my experience at church a good one. One of my mentors, Heather Madder, once said that every speaker you ever hear has a personal message for YOU. All you have to do is ask. I’ve put that to the test many times, and it never fails. If I say a heartfelt prayer asking to hear something that will benefit my life, and then listen attentively, I invariably come away with new ideas and motivation.
Today one of the speakers started out quoting from one of the songs the children sing at my church:
My life is a gift; my life has a plan.
My life has a purpose; in heav’n it began.
My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth
And seek for God’s light to direct me from birth.
I’ve heard these words many times, but they struck me in a new way. I know that my life is a gift. It’s one I’m grateful for every day. What struck me was that my life has a purpose and that my purpose began before I ever came to this earth. My blog followers come from many different faiths, and I love that they do. I know not everyone believes the same things I do, and I’m always open to respectful discussion. Even if you don’t believe that we existed before we came to this earth, I don’t think it’s too far a stretch to say that everyone’s life has a purpose.
My Purpose
I believe I’m fulfilling my purpose here at Sublime Reflection. I know that some of the things I’ve experienced in life have put me in a position to help others who are struggling. This blog is one of the avenues for doing that. I haven’t always wanted the responsibility of that knowledge, and I’ve actually resisted the promptings that have compelled me to share my story.
I find it interesting that as a society we seem to value fitting in. We look at people who appear successful and accomplished and they all seem to be blessed with the same talents — so those are the things we strive for. But talents come in many flavors. Having ten children, this is very evident to me. I have one daughter who is very academic and learns things easily. Another daughter is extremely loving and is drawn towards people with special needs. My youngest daughter is very confident and loves to perform for others. My boys are just as varied. As parents, I think it’s a good idea to encourage growth and development in areas where your children are naturally gifted rather than trying to make them conform into some ideal developed by society.
I believe we are given unique gifts for a reason and that our lives will “feel” the best when we focus on our natural talents. For me, those gifts are a sharp mind, a gift for writing, and a deep sense of love and empathy for those who feel they don’t quite measure up or don’t know who they truly are.
Identify your talents
If you’ve never done so, take a few minutes to think about your unique talents. What do you like to do? Is there something that you get so caught up in that time seems to fly? What skills feel easy? What personal character traits feel like the real you, and which ones feel forced? What past accomplishments have made you feel proud of yourself? Look clear back to your childhood. You may be surprised at the patterns that will emerge.
If these questions are difficult to answer, ask your family and friends what makes you special. Often, what’s difficult for us to identify in ourselves is clearly evident to those around us. See if the responses you get have a common thread.
The bottom line is, we are all different because we were meant to be. Don’t be afraid to stand out and share whatever makes you unique. Your life, as well as the lives of those around you will be blessed when you discover and then BE who you really are.
I’d love to hear your answer to the questions above. If you’re willing to share, leave a comment below.
Photo courtesy FrameAngel | freedigitalphotos.net
