The Gift...

A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. Proverbs 18:16


We have all been blessed with God given gifts and abilities. Sometimes, we take them for granted, sometimes we believe they're undiscovered, and yet still, other times they're nurtured to their greatest capacity.

Whether your gift is sports, singing, playing music, dancing, medicine, building, drawing, writing, or reading it is yours. There are no two exact gifts alike. You may find two great dancers; however, the dance is different in both people. Why? Because the dream and the vision is different for both. Therefore, the way the dance is interpreted will be different, as each dancer demonstrates his or her gift.

This weekend I had the honor of being a nominee in the category of Christian Fiction for B.R.A.B. (Building Relationships Around Books). If you're a reader and you're unfamiliar with this book club, you want to go on FaceBook and join. It's one of the largest online book clubs there is, with a wonderful group of people who are very supportive of everything each other goes through, and loves to read.

I was blown away and completely caught off guard by this nomination. Because first...I wasn't expecting to be nominated for anything. Second, I write women's fiction, with romance, urban fiction, suspense, and Christian fiction intermingled in all of my books. Finally, I couldn't believe that I would be considered in the same category some of the writers listed were in. These are great women writers and it was not only a privilege to be categorized with them, but an honor.

With that mindset came the critical side of me, as I begin to question my style of writing, my books, the message that I intend to share versus the one that might be received, and the genre of Christian Fiction itself. Of course, as I begin to feel unworthy and question why (the enemy does that to us quite often), my husband begin to speak into me about my gifts. He spoke great words to me that I needed to hear, about my gift of writing, about my perspective on life, and what my characters do for others (especially Ms. Olivia). He also begin to point out how similar I am to her in some ways.

After we had our discussion, I begin to embrace the words that he had spoken over me. I begin to embrace a different perspective on my gift and to just thank and praise God for bestowing the gift upon me. What a mighty great blessing it is to even be considered. And I'm so thankful the ladies chose me to be a nominee.

Today, I want to encourage you to never count yourself out. To never belittle your gift, and to NEVER compare it to others. If so, the enemy will leave you busted, confused, and broken every time. Simply, be the best that you can be by nurturing your gift and praising Him each day for it.

Go out and nurture your gift today! Love you all and be blessed.

Thanks for spending this Motivational Monday Moment with me. If you want to read more posts like this, meet new authors, or sample some of my work, simply join this blog. Click the "Follow," "Subscribe," or "Email" links in the upper right panel. I can't wait to see you here.

Living Life Beautifully Inspired!
Chelle Ramsey