Dear Rose Park,
500 dozen. Five-hundred multiplied by twelve equals six-thousand. That’s how many pig-in-the-blankets Bette Van Dyke has sold. Yesterday morning, some diligent and gracious ladies of the church were making pig-in-the-blankets in the church kitchen. As the worker-bees men’s group sampled the fare, I asked Carol Teusink how many they were planning to make. Yesterday alone, they made sixty-dozen. I was in awe; until she told me how many Bette has sold over the years, then I was in shock.
The ladies of the church have been making them for just about ten-years. It’s their faithful attempt to not only feed the mouths of God’s people with delicious food, but also their way of helping pay-off the beacon. It’s their way of chipping in. It’s their way of getting involved. It’s their way of serving the church. Not everyone has skills with a rolling pin or a passion for baking and cooking, but everyone has gifts that can be used in the building up of God’s Kingdom.
I worry though, that some gifts have been elevated above others and other gifts have been completely ignored. I worry the gift of a listening ear is too often overlooked. I worry the gift of faithful presence is undervalued. I worry the gift of wisdom is underutilized. I worry the gift of intercessory prayer is perceived as obsolete. We have so many gifts in our families, communities, churches, and circles of influence; so many untapped gifts to build up the Kingdom of God.
As we continue in the early stages of 2020, now might be a good time to take an inventory of your own life: what untapped gifts do you have that could be used to serve God? What gift is being overlooked or undervalued in another? Whether you have the gift of leading a bible study, welcoming visitors into worship, providing meals to those in need, praying for the mission of the church, or selling five-hundred dozen pig-in-the-blankets, we all have gifts that can be used to build up the Kingdom and spread the Gospel.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark
P.S - thank you for your gifts and service Bette!