I’ve never been an athlete. Can’t even pretend to be. My talent level with any activity requiring strong hand-eye coordination, a ball, a net, a racket, a bat, a golf club or a hockey puck (or even skates, for that matter) is fairly low. And combining running or catching with a ball and avoiding obstacles? Truly, utterly impossible.
However, when my beloved suggested bowling for our date night last week, I thought, “now that’s a sports-like activity even I can do.”
Yeah, I was wrong. So very, very wrong.
Turns out, I’m as terrible a bowler as I forgot I was. My score was about a third of my husband’s. After multiple rounds of gutter ball after gutter ball, if I even got a few pins down, I felt like I had accomplished something great.
And get this – as bad as I was (I bowled 50, friends – that’s truly awful), I woke up the next day with a sore shoulder. A bowling injury. No joke.
When I was attempting to hurtle those ten-pound deadweights down the polished wood lane, I was reminded of this: we all have our strengths, and we all have our weaknesses. Not one of us is good at everything, but we’re all created to be good at something. My ‘something’ just doesn’t happen to be bowling.
We kill our own talents and gifts in coveting the gifts others have been given, neglecting our own gifts and letting self-pity hobble us or let jealousy turn us bitter. Conversely, we might so elevate our gifts as to almost eliminate the gifts of others, becoming unbearably arrogant. I suspect most of us, if we’re to be honest, would gravitate to one of these weaknesses.
So, although I was downright awful at bowling, I was so very proud of my beloved, who, despite not lifting one of those 14-pound deadweights in years, bowled a half decent game. Because you know what? Bowling wasn’t the point. Relationship was.
And isn’t loving relationship – whether with family, friends or a spouse – where our best gifts should shine brightest?
Here’s hoping you surround yourself with those people who help your gifts shine, friend.
Ellen
AND… a giveaway!
Want to have an encouraging, heart-warming date night next week? I have been given two Admit Two passes for When the Game Stands Tall to share with my friends here!
(Also, this is our next very safe date night)
Just post a comment below to stick up your hand, and tell me about your gifts!
I’ll select recipients by this Thursday at 4:30 PM Eastern. *note – these passes are good for Canadian friends only.
Ellen thank you so much for this blog post! How many times do I look at the gifts, talents and skills of others and become envious. And then, to go a step further and look at the accomplishments of others’ children and become envious! (FB is terrible for evoking those kinds of responses btw) So, thank you for the reminder that we are all given different gifts to complement the body of Christ! Our children have all been given different gifts to complement the body of Christ. We are to use the gifts that God has given us and encourage our children in their gifting’s.
So, on that note, I’d say that my gifts are compassion and the desire to help others. Sometimes that doesn’t play out all that glamorously. Sometimes the gift seems like more of a chore — when my focus is on the gift and not the giver. But when we look to the giver of the gift, it is then that our gift truly becomes just that.
Love reading your blog! Thanks for sharing your heart.
So funny – we were talking the other night and I told Dan that my gift is NOT compassion – and that I wish it was. I admire your gifts! I’m so glad we’ve connected here!
Such truth in your words! I too pretty much suck at any given sport, bowling included! We took the kids 5-pin bowling last week, and I never would have scored if the bumpers hadn’t been up, and at that, it wasn’t a very good score! I am good at baking and loving on my friends and scrapbooking….so that’s o.k.!
We can be crummy bowlers together. Here’s what I say: If you can’t be good at bowling, you can at least look good while you’re bowling. 🙂 You are amazing at loving on your friends – I have learned so much from you!
I am absolutely with you on this! I regularly have to remind myself that the important part is the relationship as I am being beaten in just about any physical game/task/challenge by Adam 🙂 My strengths lie in board games and cooking/baking.
Solidarity! 🙂 I’ve seen some of your baking talents – amazing! You have a huge gift there – one that I most definitely don’t have and totally admire!