What's Your Gift?

" Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10


"How're you doing, brother? Working hard or hardly working?"

My friend, Steve, always greets me that way. It's his trademark and I love it. It usually makes me laugh, helps me prepare for the shift. But I didn't feel much like laughing that night. My heart was heavy; I needed to talk. Steve clocked in and followed me out to the ambulance bay to check the truck.

"So," he said opening the airway bag. "What's bothering you, brother?"

"I didn't realize it showed."

"It shows." Steve chuckled and gave the wrench atop the oxygen bottle a twist. He glanced at the regulator, nodded, and then retightened it and slid the cylinder back into the bag. "You wanna talk?"

"Yeah," I said with a hearty nod. "I think I need to."

"Go."

"Well you know that book I've been writing?"

"Your novel?" he said. "Sure. What about it?"

"It was rejected again."

"Again?"

"Yeah, another publisher said no. But that's not all—this time my agent sent the manuscript back to me. She's giving up on it. Says she can't sell it."

"Hmmm." Steve bit his lip as if trying to hold back a smile. "I probably shouldn't tell you this," he said with a grin, "but deep down, I'm kind of glad."

"Glad?"

"Well, ever since you started writing that book your head's been somewhere else. Your heart's not here anymore, dude. It's like you've already left."

"Well, Steve, I've been writing for over five years! I've worked hard to get published. You don't know how—"

"You've worked hard for this!"

"This? Steve, this job's chewed me up and spit me out so many times I can't think straight anymore. I mean, c'mon, man, we work longer hours than anybody I know, and where's the payoff? When am I ever going to get mine?"

"Is that why you write? To get yours?"

"Well—" My shoulders shrugged themselves. "That's not the only reason."

"Look," Steve said. "You may not want to hear this, brother, but I believe God put you here for a reason, and it's not to make money. He's using you in more ways than you know. I mean just think of all the lives you've touched. The people you've saved over the last twenty years. All those students you've trained to be great paramedics. Brother, there are a lot of folks out there who would be much worse off today if not for you. Shoot, a lot of ‘em wouldn't even be here."

"So, what am I supposed to do, Steve? Just give it all up?"

"No. Write. But do it for the right reason. And don't even think about giving up EMS. God's given you a wonderful gift, brother. You need to use it!"

*

And so, to answer Steve's question—hardly working…that's how I've been doing. I've been so busy worrying about my own agenda that I forgot all about God's. Steve was right. God has given me a special gift and it's time I started using it again. I'll still write, of course, but from now on I'll do it for the right reason. So, Lord, please forgive me for being so selfish. And thank you for my good friend, Steve. And thank you, too, for this awesome gift: I'm a paramedic. I've been blessed with the ability to save other people's lives.

What's your gift? Are you using it? If you are then good for you! Keep up the good work. But if not, it's time you got started. Discover that gift, then get out there…and use it!

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