Weekly Reflections for September 26, 2021

Have you ever put together a jigsaw puzzle, only to find that you are missing one piece at the very end?  What you worked on for days, trying to create something whole and beautiful, now has a gaping hole in it.  It’s a very frustrating experience, usually resulting in a futile search for the missing piece, which is eventually blamed on the family pet.

God endows each of us with certain gifts and talents.  Some of us receive extraordinary gifts while others of us receive simple, everyday gifts.  But, each of us is expected to use the gifts and talents that we receive for the good of all.  In that way, each of us is like a piece of the puzzle.

None of us want to be the one to blame for the missing piece; but how can we know what our talents are and how to use them for the glory of God?  Could it be as easy as the things that we enjoy most?

Some of us enjoy cooking.  So, why not make a little extra and take it to a housebound neighbor or a coworker who lives alone?  Some of us enjoy working in the garden.  So, why not pull our neighbor’s weeds while we’re pulling our own?  Some of us enjoy knitting.  So, why not knit some newborn caps for the local hospital delivery room?   Some of us enjoy being with children.  So, why not volunteer to babysit for free for a young couple so that they can have an evening to themselves.  Some of us can light up a room with our smile.  So, why not flash that smile at every opportunity? Sometimes a smile is all it takes to turn someone’s day around.

God is so amazing!  He gives us gifts and the desire to use them.  When we share our gifts and talents, we are helping to accomplish God’s plan of a whole and beautiful universe.  When we withhold our gifts and talents, we leave gaping holes in God’s plan.

Don’t be the missing piece!  Consider how you can get started today using your gifts to complete God’s perfect plan for the world.