Favored
There are a couple of names that come to mind when I think about being favored. Abram. Mary. Elizabeth. Joseph. We tend to think that somehow favor means that we won’t endure hardships. Not so. In fact, Mary saw her son crucified, and Joseph was sold into slavery. I am starting to think that favor has more to do with God’s ability to trust you with hardships. When you are favored, God knows you will lean into him during hardships instead of choosing to run away. God knows that the result of testing your faith, will make you a better witness and ultimately a better disciple. Have your found yourself in a season of testing? Have you felt like it was too much for you to bear? Ask yourself are you favored?
What’s your Superpower?
I went to a superhero birthday party this weekend for a four year old who refers to herself as “SuperSpeed.” I listened as kids declared what their superpowers were as if it were a real thing. To them, it was very real. One little boy went up to his mom and expressed concern about losing his powers. I thought, “what’s my superpower?”
Technically, we are all born with gifts and talents that need to be cultivated. What are you good at? What do you love to do? What can you do effortlessly? That’s your superpower. Writing is my superpower. Being a mom is my superpower. Being a wife is my superpower. I can do these things in my sleep with the help of my handy dandy “to-do” list. What’s your superpower?
Talented
Talent is described as natural skill or aptitude. What do you do well? Can you cook? Can you bake? Can you build? Can you write? Can you draw? Are you good at connecting people? Rediscover your talent. Rediscover your passion. Rediscover your purpose. Revisit your vision. Rewrite the vision. Invest in you. You are talented!
Gifted
I was introduced to Nina Simone at a young age. I loved her raspy voice. I loved how she sang her politics and called it all jazz. I loved how this unapologetically big nosed black woman was able to leave us feeling good, spellbound, all while telling stories about four women and strange fruit. She was one of the first to tell me that I was young, gifted, and black. I learned that my youth was a gift. I learned that my blackness was a gift. I learned that my ability to write and express myself poetically was a gift.
Your intellect, your sense of humor, your business acumen are all a gift. Be unapologetically who you are because you are a gift. You are gifted. You are blessed. You are a blessing. To truly be young, black, and gifted is to recognize that you are the gift. Your complexion, your hair, your smile, your hips, your thighs, your nose and your eyes are a gift. Your sincerity, your peace, your joy, your faith, your heart, your spirit are a gift. You are gifted! Your talents, your treasure, your pain and your pleasure are a gift. Your desire, your dreams, your plans and your purpose are a gift. You are gifted.