Thursday, September 17, 2009

A daily dose of strength...

WRITERS WORKSHOP PROMPT:
What's the message you would craft





I'm bummed because I wanted to show you the message that I literally crafted back in college, as in stitched, onto canvas, to save forever more. But now that I need it I can't find the thing. Isn't that always the way. But here is a picture of my college notebook where you'll find the scribbled message and numbers for my counted cross stitch.

There are also several notes in here about children's nutrition, money management and marriage and family relations (can you tell what my aspirations were?). I think I'll go study it a bit after I finish this post.

So what message could be so important that it would compel a college student to stitch it, onto canvas, to save forever more? You might wonder. It was a message taken from the baseball movie "The Natural" with Robert Redford. A message that went straight to my heart. A message that I needed to hear and to always remember. And it went a little something like this:

You've been given a gift, but that's not enough. You've got to develop yourself. If you rely too much on your gift you'll fail.

This message came to me at a time when I was failing in my life. Failing at the things that meant the most to me and I didn't understand why. Because I had been given a gift. The gift of being able to hear and discern the Spirit and words of God had been given to me, had been with me for as long as I can remember, and yet somehow I was still failing. And the "why" of this was answered by this message. I realized that I had relied too much on the gift alone. I had not worked to develop or strengthen it, leaving myself prey to the deceptions of the world. It was a message that I needed then and one that I still hold to today.

My morning devotional time, set aside to study and to pray, is the highlight of my day. It is a time to reconnect, to remember why I'm here and to gain strength. I know that this habit is imperative to the development of my gift and that if I rely too much on my own power I'll fail.

And that's just not okay with me. Nope, not okay at all.

7 comments:

Marcie Ashton said...

Good advice. I'm always struggling with just what IS my gift. Or maybe I just want different ones. You've given me something to think about. Thanks!

KatBouska said...

So true. People sometimes expect not to have to work and foster their talents and instead just wind up wasting them.

Great message!

K said...

This post really means a lot to me, because every day I wonder whether or not I take too much for granted. A talent. A gift. Health. Life. I think we every aspect of my life I need to develop myself, appreciate it all, and remember this always.

I'm thrilled to discover your blog from Mama Kat today!

KK said...

The only way to start the day.

Claudya Martinez said...

You'll have to post a picture of the stitched message when you find it.

Shellie said...

Good advice, I struggle with the same thing. I'm afraid I rely way too much on the gift alone but I don't develop or strengthen it enough.

MaryRC said...

what a great quote, and so very very true.