Thought for the Week-Pirates & Princesses

Good Morning Girlfriends!

Is anyone else rushing around?  I feel like I'm always running--although the type of running I do, doesn't seem to burn very many calories!  Jeff and I flew to Florida this past weekend to celebrate my grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary.  That kinda makes your breath catch, doesn't it?  Sixty-five years.  Wow.  I could write a completely other Thought just about that!  But today, I want to focus on direction...or rather sometimes our lack of.  You see, while we were in Florida, we actually had the opportunity to see Jeff's grandparents as well.  Ours was an incredibly fast trip.  We flew in late Thursday and booked a hotel close to the airport.  We got up early Friday and drove the hour and change down the road to spend the day with his grandparents, then drove the hour back to the hotel.  We got up early on Saturday to repeat this process, but travel an hour in the opposite direction to see my grandparents.  All of this information is important, I promise!  Many of you know how challenged I am when it comes to directions.  To put it bluntly--I'm a total disaster.  It's a miracle I can get out of my garage, it's that bad.  Well, as we were coming back to the hotel Saturday night, we rolled up to the intersection that would eventually take us to our hotel.  Jeff looked over at me and asked, "Babe, do you know which way we go?"  I was stunned speechless.  I honestly thought he needed my help for directions!  And if that was the case, we'd still be sitting at that intersection.  He just shook his head, made the turn (I still don't know which way) and said to me, "You would've made a terrible pirate! You would've been lost at sea before you got out of the bay!" 

Naturally, my mind began to circle around that.  It's true, I would have made an awful pirate!  But I would've made a fantastic princess--they never need to know where they are because other people are always around to help out!  I wanted to go to the Book and see what God had to say about this. I began to think about Spiritual gifts.  From 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 we read, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men."  God created each one of us to be uniquely different, yet to still be crafted in His image.  Of course He wouldn't make us the same.  However, the common denominator in each and every person is the same God with the same powerful and Holy Spirit.  God knows each of our strengths and each of our weaknesses.  If all of us were good at everything, we wouldn't need each other.  How much fun would that be?  We are relational beings.  We were created to be in relationship--first with God, then with each other.  Having a balance in our Spiritual gifts is an excellent way to stir all that up.

You see, I know I have no sense of direction.  It simply is not one of my gifts.  That doesn't mean I'm not useful on car trips! For instance, I'm an excellent co-pilot.  I can wrap a hamburger so that it won't leak or drip when you bite into it!  I can look for road signs that are impossible to find.  I always keep the music going.  I'm a good driver, if someone else is navigating.  What about you?  The Spirit gives different gifts to different people "as He determines" (1 Corinthians 12:11).  Maybe you have the patience of Job.  Maybe you are an excellent cook.  Do people come to you for advice?  You are gifted with wisdom.  Each of you (us) has been blessed with Spiritual gifts.  Ask God to show you what yours is today.  I would not have made a very good pirate...but I would've made an excellent princess!  Have a great week!  Be blessed!!