A Paradoxical Gift

Would you rather be a gift-giver or a gift recipient?

We all like to receive gifts, but what if the gift you receive is not what you would ask for? What if you cannot return this gift? What if you unknowingly accept a gift only to discard it or diminish its value?

Gifts given to us before our birth hold special significance. They may come in the form of a financial account to insure our monetary future, a family heirloom that holds some generational significance, or even a genetic difference; one that seems to come with the roll of the dice. Which gifts bear our personal responsibility to value?

What if I told you, ALL of them?

God gave some of us gifts of athletic ability, others mental acuity, and still others an artistic flair. Which should be set aside or discarded?

By telling a painter to put down the brush, asking a dancer not to dance, a speaker not to speak, or a learner not to reach for more, we take part in the darkness of the world.

Our gifts are our birthright. They empower us, inspire others, and send ripples in the world loose to travel. Our gifts have written concertos, made it possible to travel to the moon, and developed vaccines to save the lives (& gifts) of others. Gifts serve to make the world a better place, conquer evil, and free the oppressed.

Even gifts that don’t seem worthy of receiving can change lives. Who isn’t inspired by Nick Vujicic , Daryl Davis , or anyone fighting to overcome? I’m sure neither of these men initially felt they were given a gift; but they were. I’m sure they both felt sadness and perhaps even outrage initially, but both men decided that they had an opportunity instead of a problem. They chose to see the good, ignore the world’s viewpoint, and make the world a better place through their gifts.

When someone uses their gift in the right way, people take notice. People contribute to the cause, rally for change, or marvel at beauty beyond our dreams.

We always have a choice. No matter what you think of your gifts, you were given them to share with others. Sometimes they’re enjoyable gifts, sometimes they’re not (at least not at first). But, someone needs that understanding, that support, that kindness. Even if we have to discover our own gifts through pain, they are valuable.

Don’t hold onto them.

Give them away.