Intangible Gifts

Posted byMelody M MorrisonPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , ,

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10 NASB)

I am excited about PENCON starting tomorrow. However, I have a Circle Luncheon and church Bible Study and my oldest son’s birthday is tomorrow. I am so proud of Benjamin. What an amazing man he has become. Gifted: brilliant, funny, caring, hard-working, and a stellar dad. We have six family birthdays this month. Wow. I am grateful for each one.

The scripture above is the one over the PENCON logo. For those of you who don’t know, PENCON is an online Editor’s conference. I’ve been doing some editing and decided to get in a little deeper. I was told it is a gift. I am certain the conference will be like drinking out of a firehose, but I won’t drown. I will just try to keep up. I tread deep water nicely.

Do you believe you have received a special gift? If so, how do you employ it to serve one another? I don’t often think of using my gifts as evidence of the “multifaceted grace of God”, but I really like that phrase. I do believe it is important to be good stewards of all the gifts we are given – both concrete and non-tangible. Every day is a gift, but they are numbered. We don’t get do-overs on our days. The property and space we occupy is a gift and we should take care of it in appreciation for the generosity of God in our lives. But these things aren’t really ours. Possessions do not the person make.

Thankfully, those intangible gifts stay with us. Visual acuity. Clarity of thought. Understanding of profound truth. Compassion for the hurting. Joy for the celebrant. Patience with children. Peace in the midst of the storms of life. The kindness of strangers. Faithfulness to those we love. Gratitude that every good and perfect gift comes from God. Democracy. Freedom. Genuine Love. These characteristics and exercises give evidence to our stewardship of life itself.

How do we relate to this “multifaceted grace of God”. We are bathed in these riches to the extent our focus remains on loving God and loving people.

Yes. The tangible carry weight, too. These gifts flow out of intangible characteristics that define us. Just as Jesus was the conduit to demonstrate God’s love for us. We are the conduits of God’s grace and redemption to others. By using our gifts and reflecting Him.

I am on a mission to find the deeper understanding of verses I have known all my life… and of so many more I have never learned.

Stay tuned… I am going to be on a roll and a rant more often.

Published by Melody M Morrison

The boring stuff: Born in Kentucky, I became a Virginian at three weeks old as my dad took his first full time pastorate in Richmond, VA. From ages four to fifteen, I grew up in Farmville, Virginia, attended Prince Edward Academy for grades three through nine. On to Marion, VA, for three years and then, Radford University completing my BS in Music Education and then MS in Special Education, later becoming a National Board Certified teacher of Special Education , ages 2-21, primarily working with Learning Disabled, Emotionally Disabled and Mentally Disabled students and adults in various public education and church settings. The important stuff: I have loved writing since I was quite young. My passions are for helping others reach their God-given potential, for encouraging Christian growth and lifestyle, and for loving and serving others all I can. I am powerfully in love with my husband and we are partners in all endeavors. We make beautiful music together. Seriously! We both play piano and guitar; we write and arrange music. I am learning the cello and playing with xylophones.

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