The Way We Are

Posted by: L.E.S. on: October 30, 2014

• In: Everyday Life | Faith | Family | Friends
• 2 Comments

Some of my great-grandparents were tall, and so I could dream, right?

I’ve always wished I were a little more graceful. I also used to wish I were six feet tall (not impossible, since I have some tall people in my family) and had brown hair and brown eyes (impossible, with my genes). I remember telling a brown-eyed brunette classmate that, and she admitted she wanted red hair like mine.

Sometimes we’re not satisfied with what we have. But as Sheryl Crow sang in “Soak Up the Sun,” “It’s not having what you want / It’s wanting what you’ve got.”

Our culture encourages us not only to want more, but also to want to be someone we’re not.

How often do we wish we were taller, athletic, artistic or musical? Sure, we can take lessons to try to develop or build on our skills, but some things will only ever be for our own enjoyment and not a career. For example, I take piano lessons because I enjoy playing, but it certainly doesn’t come naturally to me—and I get nervous playing just for my teacher!

Which brings me to another question: how often do we thank God for the gifts we do have—for our talents and personality traits, and those of our family and friends?

I have a knack for organizing the house, although my family may not always see it as a blessing. (In fact, I’m fairly certain they consider me a neat freak.) My son is naturally athletic and strong, and my husband is known for being kind and generous. One friend of mine has a beautiful singing voice, another always has words of comfort and advice, and another has a gift for praying for any concern.

Do we dismiss our talents and traits because we see others’ abilities and qualities as better or more valuable somehow?

I pray that, as Jennifer Rothschild encouraged us to do in Self Talk, Soul Talk, we would remind ourselves of this truth: “I am God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).” And I pray that we would see our talents and traits as blessings from God and ask him how he would have us use them.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

~ Ephesians 2:10*

(*Scripture quote taken from the Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.)

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Tags: blessings, Catholic, Christian, faith, God, personality traits, religion, talents