“…I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.”
Luke 19:20b
I was reading in Luke this morning, chapter 19, you know…the king that gave his servants money and told them to put it to work while he was gone. If you want to refresh your memory, read it here. It makes me wonder how often in my life do I NOT make use of the gifts God gives me? I think that is part of what He wants us to take away from this parable…to USE what we are GIVEN, even when we are afraid. Even when we don’t understand. Even when we DON’T. GET. IT! “IT” being the purpose of life at the particular moment in time, so to speak. In this case, the servant lost what he had been given, because he “kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.” Then the servant got upset.
I wonder how many times in MY life, that I have not used or mis-used the gifts God has given me? Sometimes, when my vision gets cloudy I wonder if I even HAVE a gift, but I know I do…we all do…God gives each of us at least one gift, to use for him. Is it the gift of organization, the gift of teaching, the gift of writing, of compassion, whatever…we all have a GIFT. See 1 Corinthians 7:7 “I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” I know I have a gift…
Lord, please help me recognize that ALL I have comes from you…and it is ALL a gift. The breath I take, my hands and feet, everything I have comes from you. Please help me to appreciate these gifts more and to use them for your honor and glory, in a manner that will bring more people to your saving grace, to your loving, open arms. Please bless those reading this blog and please, Lord, be especially with those member of my family that need you in a very special way today.
Friends, I am swiftly approaching the anniversary of my first blog post. I find myself wondering where I should go from here, what I should do. I am so sporadic with my posts these days, I wonder if it is worth continuing. When I started blogging, I felt inspired and I knew beyond a doubt that I was supposed to be blogging. Sometimes, now, it feels like I am forcing the words and I do not believe that is what the Lord intended for me to do. So, I am praying that I will have more inspiration, more assurance that this is what I am supposed to be doing…for the right reason and if I am NOT supposed to continue, I am praying that I will know that too. If you have felt this way or have thoughts on the matter, I would love to hear them.
Do you know what your gift is?
On a different note…check out Karen’s blog…this post is an absolutely MUST READ.
Hey dear Mary, before I even read your heart about whether to continue blogging or not, my thought was, "This is Mary's best post ever."
I don't want to presume to speak for God but I think you have a lot to offer.
The first year I blogged, I had one person who commented on a regular basis–yes, I got discouraged–more than you will ever know–but I also knew the reasons why I was blogging and that always trumped everything else.
Trisha at Multitude of Mercies has the best take on blogging I've ever read under the link, "Why Bloggest Thou?"–You might want to take a look at that.
What Ann Voskamp has been writing about blogging is really good also–something we should take to heart.
And your post today really spoke to me to keep using the gift of writing that God has given me. Thank you sweet friend.
I love you,
Dianne
Mary B, yes, we've all been given a gift – 1 Peter 4:10. They arrive seed form; must be nurtured & developed. 🙂 PIZZA FOR LUNCH-THAT'S MY FIRST THOUGHT WHEN I READ – DO I HAVE ONE? DISCERNMENT? MERCY? I can't help but wonder Mary, your posts relay to us your Bible Study – what would happen if you closed the blog. I'll tell you what I would be prone to do, fall lax in that area. I need accountability!
Even if only one dear soul reads (doesn't comment) & gets a little seed that sprouts years later, wow!
Only encouraging you – I too have dealt with blog issues lately, "focus", blending between home & faith… and time management.
I'll close my wordiness – but with humility! Thank you for leaving a part of your heart in your comment this morning. I'm humbled that you have highlighted my name.
Praying you sense HIS presence and see HIM at work around you, and join in.
~love to someone I've never met, but have shared heart messages with~K
Mary,
Dianne's right – this is an excellent post and it spoke to my heart. I loved the part about our gifts, especially when you mentioned our breath, hands and feet.
As for blogging – I'm kind of in the same boat as you right now 🙂 I've thought of stopping but didn't want to make any rash decisions. I think I'll take a peek at the sites Dianne mentioned. Maybe they will shed some light on the issues I've been having, too.
God bless you, Mary. Thanks for posting about this!
I go back and forth on blogging quite a bit, especially w/how much to share. I think I've quite and restarted at least twice now. 🙂