When do you shine brightly? I recently embraced the stillness to ask myself this question: When do I freely give it my all, knowing with confidence that I can achieve the task before me? When does the light inside me shine the brightest?
This question came to my mind last summer in the late afternoon light in a friend’s backyard. I love to see my son run. He loves to fly down a path as fast as his little two year old legs can carry him. The freedom, the movement, the push–they all bring him joy. At eleven months old, he barely started walking before he was running. He used to fall down so much, though thankfully much of that was in the winter months when he was well-padded with all the layers. Now that he’s two, he runs and pumps one arm and he feels fully alive. As his mom, I feel overcome and elated to watch my child excel in an activity he loves, something that so naturally flows through him. One day while watching his contagious spirit of freedom, with the sun on our faces, I felt the true joy of parenthood, not for the first time, but the first in a moment like that. I really get to be his mom. I really get to see him shine. The warmth of that moment overwhelmed me. As I watch him propel his legs, I realize what it is to be filled with gratitude. In an instant, I’m thankful for his joy, this moment, our lives.
In this same moment I wonder how God looks at us, his children. As his mother, I see how his joy makes my joy. Seeing him do something he was born to do delights my heart. I wonder if that becomes a hint of how God sees us when we are living freely, doing something he’s created us to do? What would that be for you? Where do you feel the most free and full of delight? As I pause to consider this in myself, I can think of moments, flashes of this feeling, but few and far between in recent years.
I talk often about this world being hard, and the assurance that we will have troubles, but Jesus has overcome them, (Jn 16:33) but right now, all I can see is that little body, running to his heart’s delight, hair blowing and mouth grinning. This joy in running is like praise to the Lord. In that moment, I see him use his body to its fullest potential, I hear the glee as he giggles and see the brightness of his still chubby cheeks, flushed and warm. His sweet smile assures me, “I run so fast, did I?” He runs because he loves it. He runs because he’s fast. He runs because he shines brightly.
When do I have so much joy, doing something I’m naturally gifted to do?
The Lord longs to be good to us and longs to see us use the gifts and talents he has given us. What are your talents? I’ve looked into a few spiritual gifts inventories and linked a couple of resources below. What are your gifts? Where are you using those talents?
On another, somewhat related note, can you recall a time when you’ve felt fully walking in the purpose you were created for? Another way to say it could be to ask yourself: When am I fully free before the Lord, living out my best self?
Three resources to do just that:
Lifeway Spiritual Gifts Assessment Tool you can click on the first link in the list to download (it says Spiritual Gifts Survey- Discovery Tool) to print out and take an inventory for yourself. 80 questions go fast–go with your gut!
Discipleship Ministries of the UMC: this is like an online “quiz” version of the resource above-a great resource, but if you lose power or go back you have to start again! 80 questions go fast, maybe 10 minutes long
On the other hand, this article from Crosswalk has some excellent points about using spiritual gifts and warnings about putting too much power in inventories.
What are your gifts? When do you feel the most like you’re walking in those gifts and talents?
