Thursday, November 10, 2011

The Gift of Attending - Revisited

Sitting in a meeting today we were talking about spiritual gifts and I was reminded of this story I wrote a long time ago...still one of my favorites.  Thought I would share...

A little girl stood in line patiently waiting. The line was full of children and went as far as the eye could see. They were all waiting for the same thing. Today was gift day. Today was the day that The Father gave out the gifts. There was a hush of excitement in the air as the line slowly moved forward.
As the girl got closer to the front of the line she was able to see what the fuss was all about. The Father was standing in front of a huge assortment of boxes. They were all different sizes and colors. As each child stepped to the front of the line…He tenderly looked them in the eye, called them by name and then turned around and chose a box. He reached inside and pulled something out. She couldn’t make it out exactly but she watched Him tenderly rub it into the child’s forehead. Then He hugged the child and turned to the next.
As she moved even closer her heart started to beat out of her chest. “I wonder what I will get?” she thought. “What will the Father choose for me?”
Finally after what seemed like forever she was at the front of the line.

The Father looked her in the eye for what seemed like a long time. She felt the warmth of His love for her invade her being. She felt as if she had been wrapped up in Him. “Malaina,” He said softly. “My precious Malaina, I have a gift for you.”

He turned around and surveyed the boxes. She watched waiting for Him to reach into one of the larger ones. She had seen a lot of children get those gifts. But He didn’t. He pushed aside some of the front boxes and found a tiny little box in the back. He reached inside and when He pulled out His hand she could see a little drop of red on his fingertip.

She closed her eyes and waited for His touch on her forehead. But instead she felt His hand on her chest…right where her heart was and as He touched her she felt a pain – deep within her that was gone as quick as it had come.
“I..I..I don’t understand,” she stammered out. “Father, what did you give me? Why did it hurt? Where did you put it?”

“My child. You have a precious gift. You have a gift that I don’t give to many. You have the gift of attending. You will have the ability to see others needs and meet them.  You will have the capacity to love with a great love. You will be able to see others pain and walk alongside them in it. You will be able to encourage and love them on a deep level. Not many get this gift and at times it will be painful. The gift was placed within your heart…at the core of who you are…and that was the pain you felt. This gift may at times seem like a burden. It might feel like you are alone and that you are the only one who has this gift. Don’t let that discourage you. You are strong and I have given you this gift to bless others.”
Realizing that she was holding up the line and that others were waiting, she accepted her hug and went on.
As she grew – she did feel different. She questioned her gift. Why did she have to be different? Why did it have to hurt? Why did she have to feel things so deeply?
One day she was tired. Tired of the gift. Tired of trying to hide it. Tired of feeling different and alone. She went back to the Father. She found Him curled up on the couch waiting for her. She snuggled up next to Him and looked into His eyes.
“Father, I don’t mean to be ungrateful…but I was wondering if I could change gifts. This one is hard. This one is lonely. I feel as if I am the only one in the world who has this gift and I am tired of being different. I want to be just like everyone else. Please- can you take it away and give me something easier?”
“My child, I have chosen you to have this gift for a reason. I want to show you that reason now…and after I am finished if you still want me to take it away I will. I love you and want you to be happy.”
He reached behind the couch and pulled a book off of the shelf. It was a scrapbook. As she turned the pages she saw pictures of people she had met in her life. Some were friends. Some were people she met in passing. Next to the pictures were stories. As she read the stories – the tears started to fall down her face. She was able to see where she fit in the stories. For the first time she was able to see how a shoulder to cry on or a word of the Father’s truth spoken through her fit in the journey of others.
The funny thing was…she was not the main character in any of the stories. She was just there in small ways. She realized that it did not matter if she was important. She just longed to see where she fit. Because she had always felt like she did not fit anywhere.
She looked up at the Father again.
“My child, your gift is rare. And to you it feels different and maybe not as good as the other gifts. I understand that you long to be more like everyone else. But you are special and precious to me…and I chose you to carry this gift. You have a very important role…although it seems small and insignificant. I know it feels like no one else has this gift but here is something you may not have realized. I have this gift as well. And any time you feel alone just curl up here with me and I will listen to you and hold you and speak truth and love to you. I promise.”
The girl looked up at the Father – her Father. She could see His eyes were full of compassion and love. She could see down into the depths of His being and for the first time saw that He was right. She was not alone. She was not the only one. Her Father had the same gift. For the first time instead of feeling different – she felt special.
“Thank you for this gift, Father. I am sorry I did not treat it like it was precious. I see now that it is. I understand it will be hard but I would like to keep it please. I would not trade it for anything.”
The Father smiled, kissed her on the forehead and watched her skip away- her gift- no longer hidden but shining out for everyone to see.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Practicing for what exactly???

So I have a confession to make.

Sometimes I find myself driving down the road and I pass by an "incident" of some kind.  Not a major incident, but just something unusual.  Yesterday, it was 2 vans parked on the side of the road.  A woman was leaning in the driver side door holding a toddler.  It looked like some sort of kid exchange in the middle of a rural area of South Elgin.

So I drive by this scene and I find myself practicing reciting the details of what I have just seen.  The woman had blond hair, kind of heavy.  Child was in a cow patterned jacket.  Van was blue or maybe green.  Just in case I ever get questioned in any sort of investigation.

Okay this means one of three things. 
1.  I watch too many crime shows
2.  I have WAY too much imagination
3.  I am a complete dork

I have no idea why I do this.  Am I practicing for some major crime?  Do I want to be in the witness protection program?  Am I just bored?

I don't know....maybe it is the writer in me wanting to file it away in the back of my mind for future reference.

Or maybe I am just a dork.