Your ticket please

Last night was our weekly family night. On the menu was dad's famous homemade fried mozzarella sticks and chicken breast nuggets. Yummo! After dinner the kids picked a movie for us to all enjoy together- this week's selection, The Polar Express. We all grabbed our favorite blankets and snuggled down together to enjoy the movie. Dad did good this time and made it to almost the half-way point before he was snoring. Some nights it's more amusing to listen to the melodies of dad's snoring than the movie itself.

I have seen this movie MANY times, but this time was different. There is a scene in the movie where the kids are on the train on their way to the North Pole. The conductor makes his way down the aisle punching everyone's ticket. One of the girls tickets has been accidentally lost and her friend offers to give her his ticket. "No!" cried the conductor, "these tickets are special." He went on the say that each of the tickets was meant especially for it's original owner and could not be shared or passed on to another.

My thoughts were immediately drawn to the gifts and abilities the Lord bestows upon each one of His children. God has fashioned for each of us specific gifts and abilities that He desires we use to bring honor and glory to Him and His kingdom. My gifts aren't yours and your gifts aren't mine; our gifts are not meant to be passed on to others, but are meant to be used to edify the body of Christ.

How are you using the gifts and abilities God has specifically given to you? Are you using them to bring Him honor and glory?

4) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5) There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6) There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NIV