Monday, September 13, 2010

A Tender Mercy

That’s what Sunday was for me. I must admit that I’ve been quite discouraged as of late—bogged down with things. You know how it is, or maybe you don’t.


Anyway, I went to Sunday School with my niece, and the instructor was a teacher like none other. He gave the most magnificent lesson on talents and how they were gifts from God, and how He expects us to use them—and to improve them.

I already knew this, and yet his words hit me like a hammer.

How will we feel at the end of our life when we’re asked what we did with God’s gifts? Will we have been too busy with things to have developed them properly—will we have taken the time to know what our gifts and talents are (what talents? I don’t have any talents)—or will we be pleased with our report?

For me, it seems I’m always walking a fine line—I don’t want to be overly involved in personal pursuits at the expense of my family—nor do I want to ignore my talents and do nothing but take care of my family, though I do love them enough to do just that. I feel the line and I don’t want to cross it, but when I look around, I feel that others are achieving more. So, I wonder if I’m just giving myself excuses.

So, as a person who struggles to give myself permission to explore my talents and improve them, his message was like a dewdrop from heaven resting on my tongue.

3 comments:

Jennifer Griffith said...

I love this. You're so right that as LDS women we have that fine line to walk between caring for others and for our own spirits. It's tricky! But your words are hitting home over here as well. Thanks!

Valerie Ipson said...

I love it when that happens. You hear a message tailor-made. Thanks for sharing so it can hit us over the head, too!

Joyce P Smith said...

Oops, I see my comment didn't post!

Thank you for the reminder to not only listen to what the teacher has to say, but to look inside ourselves for way's we can apply the lesson to ourselves!

Now I must repent and work on those talents that I've recently been letting sit here and grow cobwebs!

~Joyce