Special Gifts - by Terry Burns

The Bible says that all believers receive at least one special gift, the gift of faith.  It also promises in  multiple places that we may receive others.

I went to the Christian Writer's Workshop at Glorietta one year. As I went I was looking for direction as to including my faith in my writing, and I got it. (See writing  testimony on my website)  But I've talked about that.  As a product of getting there I went through a course designed to identify special gifts. It was pretty extensive and very revealing. They concluded  I had three in addition to the one we all have, writing, music, and the gift of encouragement.

I accepted that, and it has seemed to be the areas I needed to work in. The writing is pretty evident and I've talked about it enough. The music  is pretty much confined to church as we sing in the choir and Saundra and I are known for doing duets. We're singing in the Christmas program this year.

Then there's the gift of encouragement. I do a little teaching at church, but my schedule doesn't let me do that on a regular basis.  Mostly I've used it in the writing groups I've been in and continue to be in,  trying in my limited way to pay forward all the help others have given me. I consider the programs and workshops that I've been doing more and more of another means of trying to use it, and it was the motivating factor in my deciding to become an agent. I'm much more motivated by helping get good Christian work out there than by trying to make money.

Mostly I hope to do it through a daily walk that is a mute testimony to my faith. We talked about that in Sunday School yesterday and there was a quote I really liked about a Christian that needs to "be in the world but not of the world." The lesson said that a boat must be in the water to be useful, but the water shouldn't be in the boat.

I like that.