I just got back from a great gathering of newly baptised and confirmed Catholics. I was there to speak to them about Social Justice and finding our calling to serve others. Don’t worry, I’m not going to repeat my whole 1 1/2 hour presentation for you. That’s not why I’m writing today.
No, today I’m writing to share with you some of my thoughts on the gifts we’ve been given by God. We have all been given different gifts as well as different weaknesses. I, for example, am not a good debater. Nor am I a motivated housekeeper. But, I am a very good speaker and teacher and my mother has blessed me with the gift of enthusiasm which can be pretty rare these days. So, when I speak to groups, I am very honest about what I am not so that they can have appropriate expectations and, hopefully, appreciate and enjoy what I am.
Now, if you were in the audience, you might think that I was the only one who was sharing their gifts. But, you’d be wrong. True, I had center stage and was the one doing all the talking but what those people listening didn’t realize was that their presence there gave me something in return.
You see, writing is a very solitary act. At times, it can seem isolating when you are researching, writing, and rewriting. All of those activities are things you do alone. It’s easy to lose momentum or get discouraged when you feel like your work is all in your head or on the page that you hope someone will read someday.
For me, speaking to groups like this one is the antidote to the isolation that can sometimes come with writing. And with this group I got a healthy dose of my antidote! I was there to share my knowledge with those present. In other words, to give of my gifts. But the reality is that I came away from that gathering re energized and renewed in my calling. Their attendance and attention gave me fuel for my journey.
So, thank you to the St. Francis of Assisi Grapevine Texas RCIA. You have helped me to fulfill my calling. I hope that I helped you find yours.
Blessings,
Laura
Laura B Nelson 