Someone swept into my life the other day. She is a talented sister in Christ whom I love and appreciate. She is a whirlwind who can bring order out of chaos, makes rooms look pretty with her decorating skills, and loves yardwork and landscaping. She is tireless. I love her for it and I am thankful for her.

And I realized I was jealous of her. She is all the things I am not.

The other day she said to me, “You are so patient with your grandchildren. I could never homeschool the 12-year-old like you do.” I smiled and said, “Thank you. I really enjoy homeschooling him.”

I thought about that. How foolish I was to be jealous. God gave her certain talents; he has given me certain talents. If everyone had her talents (or mine), there would be things left undone. And I thought about a young man I knew years ago who had Down’s Syndrome. His life was more of a glory to God than mine could ever be!

So who am I to judge whether my friend’s talents are more important than mine. Humans with their different talents are like a color wheel. Each primary color has a complementary color. Together, they make beauty. Together, differently talented people make beauty as they use their giftings to God’s glory.

l am no longer jealous of her; she is a delight and I marvel at her talents while I enjoy mine.

HEART COVERS
The needles of time
knit the yarn of our hearts
together into a sublime cover
in hues of sunshine,
streaked with storm clouds.
We discover
we are better together
than alone.
(from my book: The Lords Battle, 2010)