Ours for Others

Chap. 6
Standouts:
"Somehow we human beings are never happier than when we are expressing the deepest gifts that are truly us. And often we get a revealing glimpse of these gifts early in life. Graham Greene wrote in The Power and the Glory, "There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in." Countless examples could be added to these stories, but they all point to another crucial aspect of calling - God normally calls us along the line of our giftedness, but the purpose of giftedness is stewardship and service, not selfishness."

"This is why our gifts are always 'ours for others,' whether in the community of Christ or the broader society outside, especially the neighbor in need."

"... God created us and our gifts for a place of his choosing - and we will only be ourselves when we are finally there."

"... Soren Kierkegaard's observation that life is lived forward but understood backward.'

"Do what you are"

"Ours for others"

When I was in grade school, I wanted to be a doctor. Then in the 5th grade I wrote a play, or rather I co-wrote a play. I think it was about Lewis and Clark. That's when it started. That's when I wanted to be a writer. I don't know if that's when the door opened and the future was let in or not, but I there are times when I look at what I've written and wondered where it came from. It's been almost 50 years since then.

And the classmate that co-wrote the play with me - he became an English professor and has won literary awards for writing poetry. I guess I'm still waiting.

The scripture focus on 1 Corinthians 9:14-23 is about Paul's calling to preach. In reading it and reflecting on it, I know this about myself: for the last 30+ years, I would not hesitate to disciple students even if it was not in my job description and I did it on my "free time". I would do it for free.