Not a lot of things come naturally to me. I can only think of two or three.
Talking and story-telling come naturally to me. I can talk to just about anyone about almost anything. I don’t mind talking or teaching in front of a crowd. This is said to be the number one fear of most people. Not me. I think because teaching is what I am called to do.
Another thing that comes naturally to me is signing and interpreting. I used to think it was because I grew up with Deaf siblings—which definitely helped. But as an adult I met others who had Deaf siblings or Deaf parents, and they did not have the skill I did. I finally realized and accepted that, too, was one of my gifts.
That’s about it. Unless you count being logical. I am very logical.
Everything else I have to learn to do.
On the other hand, my husband can do just about anything. When he was a teenager he would take the car engine apart and put it back together again in a weekend. When he was in his early 20’s he made a family room in our unfinished basement. There is not much he cannot do.
I couldn’t even operate our riding lawn mower until our son came over and walked me through each step. I meticulously wrote notes for future reference.
Because things don’t seem to come naturally to me, once I learn something I am able to teach others. I am able to do this by breaking down each step.
For example, someone to whom everything comes naturally might say to a person, “Get in and start the car.” The person who is learning might be overwhelmed and have no idea where to start.
I can break it down and say something like, “Get in. Put your foot on the brake. Make sure the car is in Park. Put the key in the ignition. Turn the ignition until the car starts.”
When I worked for the telecommunications company, I wrote training and methods and procedures. I don’t think I would have been as effective if everything came naturally to me.
Why am I telling you all of this? First of all, not everyone has the same giftings, talents and abilities. And second of all, you might excel at something because a certain thing did not come naturally to you.
Don’t be discouraged if something is a challenge. Look for ways you can take something you might feel is your weakness and turn it around to become your strength.
Believe it or not, writing does not come naturally for me. Every time it is time for me to write a post for my blog or an article, I get a little bit of anxiety. I would much rather be telling a story orally than writing it down. But I have friends who are much more comfortable with writing than speaking.
Everyone is different. Embrace who you are—your strengths and weaknesses.
Each day is a gift. Look at things you felt might have been a weakness in a different way.
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Reflections with Bev 