Life's Little Gifts

Here I sit on this fine Sunday evening, with a mixture of feelings that are begging desperately to be sorted. I’m sitting in the same spot as I always do, listening to the tunes of Taylor Swift. The only difference in this weekend’s end and those of other weekends is the way I had no control over the happenings of the weekend. I had no idea when I woke up Friday morning that I would be off to Birmingham, Alabama to listen to four of the greatest Christian women speakers of our time. I had no idea that my ever- changing perspective on life would change so radically, and that I would learn things I never thought I could learn at my age. I didn’t know when I woke up 7:00 Friday morning that I would be at school for an hour before I got checked out to pack and leave for Birmingham to get inspired in ways I wasn’t expecting. This weekend has been such a productive one, that I must number this craziness out for you.

1.      You never know your plans. You may think that you have your weekend all set up and planned, but only the Plan Maker knows what you’ll be doing, really. I had no idea that I would be taking my grandmother’s place at the Deeper Still conference until I got a text in English Friday morning, but He knew exactly what I would be doing The weekend of December 3^rd, 2010 before I was born. He knows what my plans will be on July 9, 2045, and this fact nearly explodes my mind with amazement. He knows the reason why your breakup with ‘Carl’ is going so rough after 8 months of being together. He knows what will come out of your broken arm. He knows if your marriage will last. The Plan Maker know everything you’ll do, mistakes and all, before you even think about doing them. This realized fact after nothing went according to plan this weekend definitely amazes me, and it encourages me never to discount you from doing something. You never know where you’ll end up, so ‘never say never’.

2.      Have you ever been afraid? Not afraid to speak up, like I may have mentioned before, but afraid of being inadequate, or just average? You may feel like there is no special calling for you, and you’re just meant to be bland and gray for the rest of your long life, but that’s not true. In the Plan, you have a gift.  It may not be an unbelievable gift, like Harry Potter powers or ‘Seeing Dead People’. It may be as simple as being sensitive or compassionate. It might be being strong or being able to persuade people to think the way you want them to. The possibilities are endless, and I can only imagine what my gift is, because I still haven’t figured it our quite yet. But no matter what it is, it's your responsibility to use it to the best of your abilities. Don't be afraid to use it because you may be afraid to 'run out'. The Gift Giver gave you this gift to give Him all the glory and He wants you to use every drop of what He let you have in the best way.  I saw this woman while at the conference in Birmingham, and she was an interpreter for deaf people. She would sit at the foot of the stage, in front of the disabled, and sign everything that happened at the conference. She would never quit, and she amazed me. I would watch her in awe as I tried to figure out what she was saying. I determined that her gift was the gift of communication, if not only sign language. Of course, the women that actually spoke at the conference were gifted, but this woman who did sign language amazed me to the utmost.

Of course, there are many more points I could make about things I have learned this weekend such as :

- never trust people who are overly nice

- never trust a copy cat

- never pack leggings as an only option for clothing

- always wear comfortable shoes to the mall in Birmingham

- be prepared for anything

- always bring a phone charger

- never expect to be home in time to have other plans

- get enough sleep

- check your cell phone BEFORE you take a test

- never give up a dream

- stand up for something you believe in, even if others disagree

- Bone Fish Grill is amazing

- Delia’s is much better in person

- Wi-Fi is not worth paying for

- it’s okay to disappear from the world for a while

- just because you care about someone, does not mean you want to be ‘with’ them

- always keep an open mind

- sometimes it’s okay to act mature

- maturity does not always come with age.

- ‘Time all wounds. Keep your chin up’ (my fortune cookie from tonight)

So many things to learn and reflect on, and some are definitely more important than others. And some thing I learned are definitely not posted on this list, but that’s okay. I can live my life without posting every aspect sometimes.

think about it:)