By Samantha McKenzie

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’

Erma Bombeck

When I get a gift, I have to open it immediately. Especially if it’s packaged in beautiful wrapping paper and topped off with a stunning bow. I get so excited, I can’t resist.

Gifts are meant to be unwrapped. People are the same way. Like gifts, we all bring joy and excitement to the people we engage with.

It’s time you open up and share yourself with others.  I’m talking about your personal gift, the one only you were born with. This is the special gift that was placed there by your maker and nurtured by your experiences. It has been shaped, molded and matured over time. It’s that special gift that lives inside of you.

Open it up.

Your gift has been fighting to come out for what seems like forever. It’s the gift that you have known about for years, but have kept a secret. It’s the gift the old people in the church used to tell your mother about. The gift your third grade teacher mentioned to you over and over again. The one your coach pointed out. Your best friend repeated. The one you’ve been ignoring.

That special gift of yours.
Funny thing about gifts, they don’t let you get much sleep. They tug away at you, begging you to take action. They even creep into your daydreams and your nightmares. They have a way of not letting you forget.

Set it free.

Your gift may come natural to you, even though you’ll spend day and night perfecting it. It’s the one thing you’ve gotten compliments about your entire life. Some people are gifted designers. They can walk into an empty room and see exactly how it should be furnished and decorated. They have an eye for beauty. Some people have a knack for building things. They can see the finished product before they pick up the hammer. Some people have the gift of discernment, the gift of healing, or the gift of…Whatever your gift is, I hope that you are using it.

I hope you recognize its uniqueness and how special you are for having it. I hope you are courageous with your special gift and become relentless about giving it away. I hope too, at the very least, that you find your gift and unwrap it.