Friday, May 4, 2012

Great Responsibility ~ Life Lessons from Jewelry

For those of you who joined the blog during April, Friday is when I post Life Lessons such as the ones I blogged on every day for the A to Z Challenge. Only I use the whole alphabet. 

While they are normally longer than the A to Z posts, they aren't always quite this long. I had a lot to say today. ;) Keep reading. It's worth it. 


Special Things

I like jewelry. I like it a lot. I have a lot of it.

Most of it stays in heaping piles on my dresser and I have to dig my way through it to find the matching earring. Every couple of months I take an hour and sort it all back into my various jewelry boxes, but it gets jumbled up again a couple weeks later.

My shell heart necklace.
First jewelry my hubby ever gave me.
But there are a few pieces that always get put back where they belong. Special pieces. A necklace and earring set of Mother-of-pearl and aquamarine flowers from my husband. An emerald ring from my parents. A watch and pair of gold earrings from my grandparents. A heart-shaped pendant made from shells that my now-husband gave me while we were dating. 

Because these were given with special care, with particular reasoning and motivations behind them, I take better care of them. I feel a greater responsibility with them. Not because they are monetarily valuable - I doubt the shell pendant is actually worth all that much - but because I would be devastated if something happened to them. They've been entrusted to my care and I take that seriously.  


Sometimes God gives us gifts like that. Gifts that He expects us to take extraordinary care of. Things we can't risk taking for granted because we'd be crushed if He took them away. 



Special Blessings



Over the past month I've been awestruck by the realization or how many of these gifts God has blessed me with recently. 
- Advancing to the Semi-Final round in the Genesis competition. (I mentioned that in Tuesday's Post)
- Tripling my blog subscribers over the course of the A to Z Challenge (Unbelievable! I'm so glad that all of you are here!)
- An exercise accountability partner and a plan that is making a huge difference for me. (Also details in Tuesday's Post)
- An amazing start to the group blog that I co-founded, Regency Reflections.

The list goes on and on, including several more personal blessings that deal with my family and the youth we work with at church.

I am truly awed by how much He's given me. And I'm also terrified.


Special Responsibilities


No, these are not my eyes. They're kinda creepy though.
"To whom much is given, much will be required."


No, I'm not quoting Spiderman or President Obama or anyone else you've heard say that phrase. I'm quoting Jesus. The whole verse, Luke 12:48, reads thus:

"But the one who did now know and did things deserving of blows will be beaten lightly. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more." 

And this is why I'm terrified. 
Yeah... I want to go hide, too. 

This isn't like jewelry where all I have to do is make sure it doesn't fall off somewhere and that it gets back to its correct home in the jewelry box. 


This is God showing up and saying, "I have given you much because I have shown you my incredible power. I have displayed my presence in your life. Now you have the responsibility to do something with that."


I feel more compelled to raise the quality of my blog. (No more tossing out my draft the night before and saying "That'll work.") I have been charged to push forward with my writing. (No more saying, "It's not good enough yet to show to anyone who can actually do something with it.")


When God displays His glory in such magnificent ways, our excuses can't stand up to the evidence of his presence. 




Special You


When has someone given you something you felt a special burden to treat well?

Has God blessed you with an overwhelming gift that you are terrified you won't be worthy of?

 
Eyes and raccoon photo from MorgueFile.













4 comments:

  1. i know what you mean--i think we are afraid of certain gifts, when we forget it it God who is in the control if we give it to Him-

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  2. How true, Lynn! Giving it back to God is the best way to make sure we handle it the way He wants us to.

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  3. A special burden to treat well? That would have to be my children. I've never felt particularly gifted until I became their mother. I'm not claiming to be Super-Mom of the universe. (Quite the opposite, actually.) But I see them as a gift that I want to inspire with the love of Christ. The same goes for writing - if Christ has blessed me with an opportunity to write words that uplift anyone, then I consider it an extreme honor. I am covered in grace and whatever gifts I have, I pray they're used to honor Him. ; )

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  4. In my book, loving your kids makes you Super-Mom. I know too many people that grew up in "perfect" homes and have an awful relationship with their parents.

    Glad to have you stopping by, Kristy!

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