Hands and Hearts

In these days of e-mail and text
messaging, isn't it nice to get a
card in the mail? And it's even more special if it happens to be one that is hand-crafted!

This evening, about 60 of our church members (of a variety of ages) showed up to begin "Summer Nights of Service", a multi-facted outreach to show God's love to the community. We cleaned trash from the beach, surveyed neighborhoods, prayerwalked some of the area school campuses, handed out bottled water to those getting exercise by walking our local bridge, and made cards. Some of the cards will be sent to those who shared prayer needs during a previous survey. We are calling our card-making ministry "Hands and Hearts", and as we make and write cards, we pray for the needs of each person, and include a note to let them know of our prayers.

It was great to see folks from ages four to 70-plus engaging in ministry. And our staff coordinator (for the card-making) assured us that we had just as vital a part in outreach as those who went out on the streets of our town.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us", says Romans 12:6. Along with this chapter, we find a listing of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. These lists are probably not all-inclusive. Obviously, beach clean-up or card-making aren't on any of the scriptural lists, but those of service (Rom. 12:7) and encouragement (Rom. 12:8) are.

Some think of spiritual giftedness as being demonstrated in one who can deliver a great sermon, or is effective at leading others to Christ, and rightly so. However, a careful study of these Scriptures show many ways to effectively serve Christ, and facilitate spiritual birth and growth. And a good way to discover new areas of giftedness is to take advantage of opportunities such as these. It's also an effective way to introduce our children to serving the Lord by serving others.

Maybe it's time to step out of that comfort zone, and into a new, fruitful area of service; what adventure will you try?

best wishes from lefthandrightbrain:)

Creativity

As success is defined by the world, my life doesn't have anything particularly outstanding about it. Hubby and I raised two wonderful children, who have presented to us some precious grand-gals.

After high-school, I went to cosmetology school and earned a hairdressing degree. But when the kids came along, I couldn't see paying a sitter to raise them while I sat around a shop waiting for customers, so that was a short-lived career.

Re-invented myself a few times: clerk, Avon representative, creator of handmade greeting cards, cake decorator, sign langauge interpreter, church worker and volunteer. Several years ago, I stumbled upon my love of the camera about the same time as I began doing a bit of writing. God has opened doors, and I've had the joy of seeing my work published in magazines, newspapers and online, and gained the satisfaction of seeing how my word-crafting and photography have impacted lives, especially in the Christian vein.

As I look back, one word stands out - "creativity". God has uniquely gifted me to see things from an unusual slant (why we often shy away from recognizing, proclaiming, and relishing in God's giftedness, I have no idea). Consider the photo I've uploaded for your enjoyment. While out with some photog buds, I noticed this young boy spending a late afternoon fishing with his dad. Instead of getting a full shot of the two, I chose to focus on this all-American boy, in his dirty-fingernailed, scuffed-armed glory.

I color outside the lines. Maybe it's because my dominant left hand interacts more with the creative right side of the brain. Can hardly read a map, or find my car in a parking lot, but I come up with ways to do things that are quite orthodox (yet effective) at times. And it is something I definitely thank God for!

We are all "fearfully and wonderfully made", according to Psalm 139:13-14. Before we ever became part of God's forever family, He shaped us in our mother's womb (vs. 13), and I believe He smiled as He implanted special natural skills to complement the spiritual gifts we'd receive at the moment of our spiritual birth! I often hear folks say, "I don't have any gifts." They may think they are being humble, but they're actually discounting the very words of Scripture.

Well, I'll never be a CEO (shucks, I don't want to work hard, anyway!), and don't even have an interest in getting a college degree. I'd rather be free to write in my jammies at midnight (or not), play with my grand-gals, take a group of senior adults on a day trip, cover a festival or a mssionary's adventures for a writing assignment, or read to my heart's content.

Are you enjoying a zest for life because you're fitting in the God-shaped niche He's shaped just for you? Be it humble or mighty (according to the world's standards), that's the only way to pure satisfaction. The "have it more abundantly" of John 10:10 looks different on each person; I pray you'll discover and daily live in your Jeremiah 29:11 experience!

Best wishes from Lefthandrightbrain:)