“Don’t Squander Your Gift”
This past Sunday was Mother’s Day. We celebrated both my wife and my daughter-in-law as a family. Lots of food, lots of laughter, a few gifts, and an occasional tear. My mom has been gone now for 21 years. I no longer think specifically about her every day. But when I think of her, I miss her so much.
Mom was an athlete. She played basketball in high school on a state championship team. She remained competitive her entire life. There was a tradition of playing “Rook” when her side of the family gathered. Some of her brothers and sisters could be vicious. And oh, how I loved to watch them play. Accusations of incompetence, along with questions about cheating were loudly thrown around. And they laughed until they cried, both after winning and losing. There was never any money involved. Just the joy of beating your siblings.
Mom played different games with her grandchildren. She allowed them to win during the preschool years. By the time a child was in first grade, you better strap on your chinstrap. I heard her declare, “Suck it up, buttercup,” to all five of those grandchildren, followed by the heartiest laughter you’ve ever heard. It was time to grow up.
But she was also quite tender-hearted. She kept nursery in her church for almost 30 years. There were close to 600 people at her funeral, and almost 400 were under the age of 30, those whom “Mrs. Shelby” had held in her arms during church services.
Proverbs 31 describes what many have called, “The Ideal Woman,” and I suppose many women have become frustrated trying to live up to her standards, while many men have held out for the perfect Proverbs 31 woman. The truth is, there is probably not a woman to have ever lived who could be that ideal. But here’s the point. You don’t have to be.
God has called you to be who He created you to be. Artist. Athlete. Cook. CEO. We all have different gifts. Use yours. God gave them to you. Use them for His glory. When you do, you will have fulfilled your calling. And that will be enough.
