the value of work was at times challenging, and even daunting. Over the years I created an array
of job charts, incentives and motivational materials with all hope to generate success in completing an assigned responsibility. I would use fun names such as, Kitchen Kaptain, Bathroom Butler, Duster Buster, Family room Phantom, in hopes they could use their imagination while learning how to implement the skills within the jobs expectations. One can’t imagine how many stickers, stars and stamps I used. We had “Gold Rush Days,” “ Golden Turtle Awards,” “ Swarming,”
“ Friday Night Specials” and such, to add a little variety.
While taking my “shower- power time”, this morning I pondered upon the incentive chart that I am in need of at this time of my life. There’s got to be more than a Golden Turtle at the end of the road for me. What kind of incentives must I use as my motivation to complete tasks, and goals, and even to set them? I wonder, ‘shouldn’t I have outgrown the need’ ? Evidently not, as I continually find myself jotting down ideas, and starting new goals, and it isn’t even New Years.
“Dust Buster” doesn’t seem nearly as pressing to me today, as I allow the spiders to make their creative web designs in the corners of my rooms. However, I find I am more concerned about the cobwebs in the corners of my mind. I wonder have I let dust gather, are my talents lying dormant, or sadly undiscovered? Let me give you a clearer visual:
I remember sitting on the church bench, as a young child on a Sunday Morning. The speaker was sharing the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25. I listened as he talked about the two servants who used the talents that the master had given them. I felt sorry for the third servant who was lazy and did not work and wasted the talent while the others multiplied their gifts. I envisioned the third servant digging in the dirt and burying his talent. I thought how foolish he was. I didn’t want to become a person who merely dug a hole and hid the talent so that it wouldn’t be lost.
I frequently ask myself if I am developing the talents that God has placed within me. To know, to do, and how I might become a usable instrument for God for good has been important to me. You see, I still believe as I did as a child that I don’t want to return to my maker and realize that I totally overlooked, and even in some cases buried my gifts, perhaps even the talent that He needed me to use the most.
Years ago I read a great quote of Erma Bombeck, who was a skilled and creative writer, and humorist. Her thought hit my heart.
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.” ~ Erma Bombeck
So this day I am going to make another job and talent chart. Upon it I will highlight those talents I believe that matter most to God. Love my neighbor, Love myself, Serve others, Spread sunshine, Listen more, Hug more, Pray more, Believe more, Learn more, Stand up more often. .. I can see it’s going to be a big chart, even a poster board size this time around. I’m going to use stars, glitter stars, to show my success, and if it sparkles by the end of the month I’ll get a tattoo. [ just kidding!]
Knowing that each of us has been granted gifts from God to make life better, I want to untie the bows, pop the lid and eagerly discover and use each one. No time for cobwebs!
“Our talents are the gift that God gives to us... What we make of our talents is our gift back to God” ~ Leo Buscaglia
Have a great Sabbath
Love Always,
Shauna
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