Blog

by Ami Samuels

The Christmas decorations are packed away for another year and the outdoor lights are down. Christmas 2016 is behind us. Reflecting on Christmas as we have celebrated the gift of Jesus’ birth, we have spent countless hours searching for, purchasing and wrapping gifts for our family and friends. There certainly has been a great deal of focus on gifts the past few months.

As I was looking ahead to 2017, I started to think about sharing the gift of Jesus’ love in the New Year. What gift will you share with others this year? We all have unique talents and gifts. Maybe you are an accomplished baker, teacher, singer, seamstress, mechanic, handyman, craftsman, or encourager. How will you use your abilities to serve others in this New Year? Romans 12:6-8 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, then do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

My mom was an encourager. Her gift was sending cards. Whenever we went shopping with mom we knew she would spend most of her time in the store buying cards for others. She sent people birthday cards, sympathy cards, wedding and anniversary cards, and cards that simply said, “Thinking of you.”

When my family moved away from Robinson, Illinois, in 2001, my mom wanted to stay connected with my boys so she started sending them a card every week. She would include a hand-written note, a piece of gum, a dollar each, and littlie inspirational clippings out of magazines. She would adorn the outside of the cards with stickers pertaining to the season of the year or sports they were playing at the time. She made the cards special because she wanted the boys to know she was always thinking of them and missing them. She wanted them to feel special and to know that they were loved.

Mother Teresa said, “Do small things with great love.” I believe it will take all of us using all our talents and gifts to minister to a hurting world for Jesus. Your talents and gifts may minister to someone that others may not have the opportunity to reach. It could be someone you work with, a neighbor, or a family member. We encounter people every day who are hurting, lonely, and may not know Jesus. How can we use our abilities to reach a hurting world in 2017? How can we share Jesus’ love with them?

In 2017, unwrap your talents and gifts to bless and minister to others by looking for opportunities to serve those around us.

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