A few weeks ago on one of our weekends with my daughters we found ourselves at an impasse over what to watch on TV. Our choices are limited to a dvd from our collection or streaming live from Netflix. My husband was home for the night. He wanted action, I wanted Christmas classics, and the girls, ages 11 and 14 were only sure they didn’t want any of our choices.
We settled on the TV series, “Heroes”. We asked the girls to watch one episode. If they didn’t like it, we wouldn’t watch anymore. Well, they liked it. Actually, they loved it so much that we had to make a promise to each other to only watch it when we are together so everybody can keep up with its many twists and turns.
A short intro for those of you who don’t know the show: people discover that they have “abilities” or “powers” and basically face the challenge of choosing what they will do with them. Will they use them for good or for evil? I’ve been thinking of the fascination we humans have with “powers”. Super hero movies are all the rage. Batman, X-men, Spiderman, etc. the list is endless. Even the Star Trek and Twilight franchises show people with extraordinary talents. And we mustn’t forget Harry Potter and his friends!
We are so obsessed with the idea that ordinary humans could have “abilities” that we overlook the fact that we already do. There are so many “gifts” out there that it is impossible to find someone who does not have one if you look hard enough. “For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that ALL may be profited thereby.”
The scriptures go on to list some gifts, healing, faith, wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, leadership, testimony and speaking / understanding languages. I want to share others I have observed. There are the gifts of gentleness, compassion, creativity, respect, graciousness, forgiveness, happiness, enthusiasm, kindness, just to mention a few.
There are the gifts of abilities, being artistic or musical or organized or disciplined or mechanical or good with animals or children. Some people learn quickly, some teach well, some are intuitive, some have the gift of integrity or the gift of decisiveness. There are those who are amazing athletes, they work well with their bodies. And others do amazing things with their minds.
There are people who have an incredible drive to do something and yet others who have the ability to be content. There are some of us that always say the right thing. There are others who always do the right thing. I know people who have been given the capacity to love with all their hearts. Often these gifted people might not have many of the other gifts of the world and struggle to fit in. They are celestial beings trying to live in a telestial world. I think they have been given the best of all gifts!
This is the season of giving. We are celebrating the greatest gift of all- a Father’s beloved Son’s birth to bring healing to a broken world. Will you join me in looking at the people in your life as He does? Look for the “abilities” they might not even recognize themselves. And instead of a gift card or present…..maybe you could share what you see in them. With so many in today’s world feeling hopeless, worthless and unloved, the gift of a kind word could truly give some healing. Isn’t that what heroes do, after all? Save the world? That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
We settled on the TV series, “Heroes”. We asked the girls to watch one episode. If they didn’t like it, we wouldn’t watch anymore. Well, they liked it. Actually, they loved it so much that we had to make a promise to each other to only watch it when we are together so everybody can keep up with its many twists and turns.
A short intro for those of you who don’t know the show: people discover that they have “abilities” or “powers” and basically face the challenge of choosing what they will do with them. Will they use them for good or for evil? I’ve been thinking of the fascination we humans have with “powers”. Super hero movies are all the rage. Batman, X-men, Spiderman, etc. the list is endless. Even the Star Trek and Twilight franchises show people with extraordinary talents. And we mustn’t forget Harry Potter and his friends!
We are so obsessed with the idea that ordinary humans could have “abilities” that we overlook the fact that we already do. There are so many “gifts” out there that it is impossible to find someone who does not have one if you look hard enough. “For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that ALL may be profited thereby.”
The scriptures go on to list some gifts, healing, faith, wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, leadership, testimony and speaking / understanding languages. I want to share others I have observed. There are the gifts of gentleness, compassion, creativity, respect, graciousness, forgiveness, happiness, enthusiasm, kindness, just to mention a few.
There are the gifts of abilities, being artistic or musical or organized or disciplined or mechanical or good with animals or children. Some people learn quickly, some teach well, some are intuitive, some have the gift of integrity or the gift of decisiveness. There are those who are amazing athletes, they work well with their bodies. And others do amazing things with their minds.
There are people who have an incredible drive to do something and yet others who have the ability to be content. There are some of us that always say the right thing. There are others who always do the right thing. I know people who have been given the capacity to love with all their hearts. Often these gifted people might not have many of the other gifts of the world and struggle to fit in. They are celestial beings trying to live in a telestial world. I think they have been given the best of all gifts!
This is the season of giving. We are celebrating the greatest gift of all- a Father’s beloved Son’s birth to bring healing to a broken world. Will you join me in looking at the people in your life as He does? Look for the “abilities” they might not even recognize themselves. And instead of a gift card or present…..maybe you could share what you see in them. With so many in today’s world feeling hopeless, worthless and unloved, the gift of a kind word could truly give some healing. Isn’t that what heroes do, after all? Save the world? That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
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