13 Comments

  1. That is a real good question, Sandy… "What makes me lose track of time?" Hmmmm.

    As a SAHM – sometimes I struggle with completely losing myself – my giftings – my ideas – my opinions.

    This post has me pondering my passions today. It's kinda crazy too, because on Sunday – our pastor encouraged us to take a look at our passions – and embrace them.

    This was good for me today 🙂 Thanks for sharing your gift!

    Blessings,
    Kate 🙂

  2. I used to spend a lot of time frustrated that I wasn't moving forward in life, using my God given gifts, at the pace I thought was appropriate. Then I heard a very eye opening sermon about God's "waiting room." The Bible is full of examples of people that did great things for God, but not until they were ready. Moses was 80 years old when he led God's people from Egypt. Abraham was 100 before he had the son of promise. David was annointed king years before taking the throne. Those are just a few examples that spring to mind immediately.

    Knowing that allowed my to slow my pace, and make sure that I was fully equiped by God to use His gifts.
    Lori

  3. Today for sure, God is striking a chord by a common theme I am reading. Your post makes me think about Proverbs 16:9 "In his (her) heart a woman plans her course, but the LORD determines her steps." If my vision has been to speak, write, teach and help other women, what ever I do to try and get the job done may not be what God wants me to do. When God called Joseph to run Pharaoh's kingdom, he didn't give Joseph over to other kings for training, He allowed slavery, the lies of a scorned woman and prison to help shape him. If my gift is to lead (which scares the you know what out of me) then God will see fit to train me in whatever manner He chooses. Hmmmm. What a gift pondering day I have ahead of me.

  4. Very interesting and timely post. I have been actually thinking along these similar lines with regard to another area of my life …does God just want to keep all of this between Him and I and no one else? Certainly a question to continue seeking Him for the answer. 🙂

    Thanks for your faithfulness!!

  5. Sandy, so good…if there is frustration with your writing keep it up here for you do have an audience who you speak to thru Him. Powerful post!

  6. What's hard is when what you thought was your dream is not where God is really leading you. Laying down "my" dream and embracing "His" (which of course is harder, more uncomfortable, more scary, etc, etc) is a huge leap of faith.

    Love you and your writing- and I love that you seek out God's truth even in something like gifting!

    And this message was just one more piece of affirmation for me that I need to get going with what God wants. So thank you 🙂

  7. I have had a few seasons where I sensed God was asking me to "put my ministry on the shelf" to serve my family. Happily, I still use my gifting as a mom/wife/homemaker. But after that two year season, was I ever happy to be "released" to my more public ministry, which uses my gifting to the fullest.

    I find so much joy in serving within my areas of gifting.

    It is obvious, that you do, too , Sandy, and we are grateful that we get to read your writing regularly.

  8. The Lord showed me the same thing about the talents. And my journal 😉

    I pray this exact prayer for one of my children… Lord, let her use her power for good.

    Love this!

    Love you!!

  9. Sandy, So. So. SOOO true! This post echoes my heart's cry lately…though, for me right now, with two toddlers at home, I'm finally peaceful that God is saying I need to lay my writing down, not completely, just some of it, for now…

    I actually asked myself a similar question just last week…"Lisa, if this God given desire to write were to be used for no one else but him and maybe your mother and your grandmother, would you be ok with that?"

    "NOOOO. I mean…um, yes, of course…if I have to be." (Not exactly the gracious answer God was looking for, but I'm working on that!)

    YOU, on the other hand! Your kids are a bit older and you are VERY talented. I am always moved and inspired by your blog entires. You are making all of the right steps and moves into the publishing world…

    The publishing world is a hard place to break into, but God is bigger than all of that…keep trusting…

    Just a quick thought, have you published at all in magazines? Just trying to think of some different doors to knock on…

    Keep persevering!!!

  10. I agree with your take on gifting! I do think, first and foremost, we must answer the question, "would I do this JUST for you, Lord? " And if the answer is "Yes," then we can be certain that we are striving to use our gifts out of love and not pride. Perhaps the real question, as you mentioned, is: "Am I willing to trust you with the timing and the method of using this gift?" I'd love to use my gift of writing to write books, but am I willing to pour the same time and energy into a blog that doesn't pay, into a church curriculum that doesn't cite my contribution, into love letters to my children that only they will read?

    Thanks for making me think today.

    Alicia

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