Embracing My Gifts & Bay Area Family
September 2023 Reflections
In September, my leader, Christy, had invitations to speak in the Bay Area, so I found myself back in California. I saw my role as the event organizer who created the flyers and coordinated the events. Yet, God taught me so much more than logistic planning!
As I watched Christy speak for each event: a worship night, a work seminar, a gathering of friends, I saw how God spoke through her. As she used her teaching, exhortation, and worship gift, many people were blessed and inspired to move forward. Had Christy let her gifts sit on the shelf, all of those 80 people would not have been encouraged.
I could not help but see that each person in the room had gifts, but many had untapped gifts🎁 . I used to believe that God gave only a select few gifts and talents, but as I have grown older, I have seen unique gifting in every person whether they were old or young, boy or girl. You may be thinking if God has given gifts to every person, why do some people seem to have more gifts?
Do you embrace the gift that God has given you? For a long time, I ran away from my math gift because I did not like being put into a box and being labeled a 👩🏻🏫 “nerd.” As a girl, I often wished that I was good at singing 🎶 or art 🎨. However, if I were to be honest with myself, I love solving math problems. I experience joy when I write thorough proofs and do casework.
Do you not despise small beginnings and take risks to use your gift? I have always envisioned myself teaching groups of people at conferences or on TV: how to hear the voice of God, or how to pray from the position of being a beloved son and daughter of God. However, I would often say no to teaching invitations because I feared public speaking and feared not being perfect. September 2023 was a turning point when I realized that I want to step out in faith and say yes to teaching. As you read in my Sept newsletter 📩, I spoke to a youth group about Friendship with Jesus. Leading up to the event, I was so nervous, but through the process of preparing and delivering the message, I experienced joy when I used my teaching gift!
September was truly a time I learned to embrace my gifts and embrace my friends! I did not expect to visit the Bay Area so soon, but I was very grateful! When you are apart, the heart ❤️ grows fonder. I had been in Kona for only 4 weeks, but I missed my friends so much. Moving away made me realize how much God has blessed me with an amazing family through church, prayer house, college and in the Bay Area!
