I don’t know about you but I am avoiding the scale for now. I had so much good food and candies and cookies and... Well, thank you! Many of you participated with your gifts of food.
Have you ever noticed that the best foods are often those that are associated with “secret” recipes? It’s a “secret” recipe and therefore I can’t share it. I wonder if there were no secret recipes and we just shared everything that was good. Would we all gain weight or would it reduce what we thought of as good (because it was now all good)? Maybe we wouldn’t eat as much because everything would be more satisfying.
Earlier this month (December) during prayer time God gave me a dream. This is unusual dreams are rare and this was the first time I received a dream while being awake. I feel I’m supposed to share this one. I was watching me interacting with people at SPLC when a voice spoke saying “prepare them for a time when you will not be here.”
I continued to work and minister and saw the gifts of our members being strengthened and maturing. People were gaining comfort and an increased understanding of how their spiritual gifts worked. I found such joy in doing God’s work. I watched individual gifts develop in you and other members of our community. I think I may have even vocalized my joy at one point chuckling under my breath. I was concerned for myself and the changes when I would no longer be present and God assured me that everything would be okay. I felt such a sense of comfort and peace along with the joy of doing God’s work.
It was spirit-filled and wonder-full. Interpreting the dream: First, I don’t think I’m going anywhere. Certainly not unless God says to do so. I think it is an affirmation of my call. Specifically God is using me to help manifest the gifts of God in God’s people (you). But isn’t this the same call on each of us-- on you? The gifts that you have been provided to you by the Almighty. This pertains to all things spiritual and physical.
You all have gifts! So lose any notion that you don’t have any gifts. You are a part of the Body of Christ and you are important to the Body’s function (1Cor.12:27). What if we shared our gifts more freely? Instead I fear we often seem to hide them as if they are ours alone or our secret and not God’s gifts for building up the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:16). We need to treat our gifts (talents knowledge experiences included) as if they are to be shared. When we do this I believe we will experience an uncontrollable joy that we simply can’t contain. Oh what a wonderful day that will be!
The first chapter of the book of Proverbs suggests a wise man learns from others (Prvbs. 1:5). But this presumes that “others” are willing to share. May we be willing to share our gifts with others in our family community and the world; today throughout the new year and for the remainder of our lives. You have been blessed in order to be a blessing (Gen. 12:2).
