Gratitude Day 592

Philippians 3:12 – I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own.

I’m one of those people who knows just enough about a multitude of things to be dangerous. I’m not really an expect on anything. I just have a lot of random information about a whole bunch of things:

• I know most sheep breeds.
• When seeds are just sprouting in the garden, I can tell which little plants to keep, and which ones need to be weeded out.
• I can name the four stomachs of cattle, interpret a genetic profile on a cow or bull and help take a professional photo on a dairy animal. Think senior picture for a cow.
• I can make hollandaise sauce, can tomatoes and have the best frozen corn recipe ever.
• I can tell what colors match and which ones don’t like any body’s business.
• I can eyeball hanging a photo, laying out an ad in a computer program and know when a piece of furniture needs to be straightened. With no ruler.
• I can rattle off John Wesley’s order of salvation and the books of the Bible in order.
• I can hear when a key on a piano is out of tune.
• I know how to change a furnace filter, a car tire and the LP tank on the grill.
• I can balance a budget, organize any activity and serve communion with my eyes covered.

I know. The list sounds more impressive than it really is. Because there are a whole bunch of things, I might be able figure out in a pinch but aren’t in my current wheelhouse:

• Backing wagons or trailers has never been my thing. My sister Debbie can and did while I milked the cows.
• Making homemade bread is not one of my superpowers. Maybe in retirement.
• I am easily distracted and procrastinate far too often. This is why I often end up pulling something together at nearly the last minute.
• At my part-time marketing job, I am the on-staff computer expert. Seriously. My only qualification is that I know a teeny, tiny bit more about computers than any other employee.
• Often, my fingers fly across the computer screen too quickly. You can tell when this happens because dairy turns up as diary.
• Saying no. I’ll leave it at that.

The list could go on and on and on.

There are things on the not-great list that I will never be good at. God planned it this way. I just fail to accept this at times, until I am put back into my place.

Some people gladly accept their limitations, work around them and move on. Then, there’s a group of people who feel like the whole world is their oyster. And they (i.e. – me) want to try everything under the sun.

We’re not really wired this way. This is not God’s ultimate design strategy. God never gifts someone very, very, very well in all areas. It doesn’t happen this way. Instead, God gifts each one of us in several ways, so we have certain gifts that are unique to us. When we stay in this wheelhouse, all of our cylinders fire simultaneously. It’s a thing of beauty.

Yet, there are those few areas where we want to make improvement. It doesn’t matter how much time and energy we put into something; we jut will not be very good at it. Our improvement may be slower than molasses. In the long run, it may not be very efficient because someone else can knock it out in no time flat.

Today, let’s give ourselves permission to be OK with not being great at everything. Let’s accept that this is the way God designed us. Rather than being frustrated for not being great at everything, let’s keep ourselves zeroed into our wheelhouses. This is where God wants us to be. Let’s be satisfied with what we’ve been gifted with rather than yearning for gifts that are not our talents.

When we surrender our gifts to God, we allow for our absolute best gifts to be the main focus on our lives. We can easily and quickly discover joy and happiness in serving God’s kingdom because it feels more natural. When we use our best gifts and talents for God’s kingdom, then work doesn’t feel like work because we deeply love what we do.

Yes, our gifts and talents will change over time. And this is OK. Yes, we may be asked and encouraged to use our gifts in different ways than we anticipate. Yeah, for creativity! When we stay zeroed in within our wheelhouses, we no longer have to be the best at everything. We become specialists in the areas God calls us.

This, my friends, is an exceptionally good place to be. I pray we can allow ourselves to believe this and live it.

For letting go of those areas that aren’t in my wheelhouse, I am grateful.

Blessings –

Dianne

Lord God – Thank you for the special gifts You have blessed me with. May I be content in knowing them. Release me from yearning the gifts not in my wheelhouse. Instead, help me celebrate them when I see them present in another person. Amen.

On a totally different note … motorcycle shopping has concluded at the Vielhuber household.

Stop by diannedeatonvielhuber on Instagram today for a few more thoughts about today’s Lenten topic.

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