You just need to be used

Clay doesn’t talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, “Why did you shape me like this?” Isn’t it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? (Romans 9:21-23 MSG)

We may try to tell God he hasn't done a good job at creating us the way he did, but we will never be able to be other than what we are created to be. The moment we accept that the gifts and talents he has given us are for his use, regardless of what they are, we will find ourselves presented with opportunity after opportunity to put those gifts and talents into use. When we resist what God has designed, we find ourselves miserably lost in an attempt to be other than what we were created to be. Our gifts and talents don't have to be 'big' or 'noteworthy'. God uses the painter to create beauty, the mechanic to make things hum, and the welder to hold things together. He uses the musician to lift our hearts, the one who is great with children to soothe an unhappy child, and the one with that outgoing spirit to greet those whose day just isn't going as well as they had hoped. ALL our gifts, simple or complex, are God's design.

My nose is too small, my hips are too big, my shoulders slump this way, my toes are gangly, my chin is double. All of us have fallen prey to the little comparisons in life that make us feel just a bit ungrateful for the way we appear when we look in the mirror, haven't we? The moment of questioning his design is one in which we are telling God he could have done a better job! The truth is that he gave us this 'entire package' so we each would stand out as unique. It is those uniquenesses that give us the variety that makes life enjoyable. All of these comparisons are nothing more than our pride kicking into overdrive. We see something in others, like the 'perfect' nose or the 'cute toes' and we start into the comparison wheel of doom. The more we ride that wheel, the more discontent we become with what God has created us to be and to become.

Rather than fall prey to the comparison trap, let us celebrate the way God has created us, with all the unique talents and gifts he has given to us. Let us engage with him, asking him how he will use those particular things to be of the greatest honor to him and blessing to others. It isn't about our appearance. A man with no arms can show us how well we can adapt and overcome. A child who will never develop beyond their present IQ can show us the beauty in a flower or the joy in finally being able to don their own clothing. The one who can make all gifts and talents work together is God - who are we to question his purposes and plans?

We might find ourselves wondering if some talent we possess could ever be of use to him, or others. Ask him to show you where those talents and gifts can be used. It may not even occur to you that your desire to keep people safe and warm could result in your volunteering for a local homeless food bank or shelter. The church you attend may not have even considered becoming a welcoming place to allow a homeless person to find a simple toiletry and snack kit once a week, but you might be just the one to organize the 'pantry' that affords that blessing. Our talents don't have to be big - they just need to be used. Just saying!