Maybe you're a musician, or a writer, maybe you have a gift of understanding, maybe you are an artist, or maybe you can understand the complex world of technology. Each of us has been gifted with some talent or another and we know, as Christians, that it is our duty to use our God-given and God-honed talents to praise and glorify Him.
But what about those talents that you'd rather not speculate on how they formed?
I once knew this little girl who was the subject of bullying from the moment she entered school. In preschool she found a friend in another bullied young boy. Together they could withstand the teasing of those around them as long as they had each other. Yet, one day, the boy decided that he was tired of being bullied and joined with their tormentors to turn the game into three against one. Imagine the pain she felt when her best friend betrayed her. Imagine the pain Jesus felt when one of His twelve betrayed Him.
I watched as this girl went through to elementary school. In third grade, she was once again ridiculed by those around her. At recess and lunch, she would sing to her best friend, a silent and young tree on the outskirts of the soccer field. One day, a soccer ball came flying through the air towards her. For a flashing moment, she dreamed that she would be able to kick the ball back and score a goal to the joy of all. But she was no athlete and the soccer ball smashed across her face, stunning her. The entire third grade errupted into hysterics at her pain and humiliation as tears streamed down her cheeks. Oh the pain she must have felt. The Jesus must have felt as He was mocked by the ones He came to save.
I know the pain she felt, for that girl was me. And often I wondered why it was that I was the subject of ridicule my entire life. As I grew, I adapted to the world around me, learning to stay under the radar of those mocking voices of my peers. Until, one day, I watched as a mentally challenged girl was ridiculed by two of the popular honors students that I shared my classes with. I knew exactly how she felt, and something inside of me couldn't stand to see the sight of my high school peers be so heartless and cruel.
...I rebuked them, forsaking my chances of ever joining the ranks of the popular, athletic honors students, but I suddenly didn't care. I had dreamt of being on top of the world as most high school students are apt to do, but at what price? My own hurtful experiences helped me to understand the feelings of those around me.
It was a painful gift to learn. But it is most certainly a gift. Being the subject of bullying has given me the strength to stand up for what's right on the behalf of others. It also came with the ability to understand. I have empathy for those hurting around me, and I can offer advice freely because of my own painful memories.
So take heart, life may be hard, it may cause pain, in fact I know it will, but each storm cloud will pass and bring an even brighter morrow. Thank God for the suffering you experience, for it just might change your life. It just might allow you to stand up for others. It just might be a talent that no amount of practicing can create. It just might bring about the change you've been hoping for.
...You just might be gifted.
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