Use Everything

Erma Bombeck once wrote, "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and that I could say, 'I used everything you gave me'."

Few people today remember Erma, but she was wise and funny all at once. She was an inspiration, the Oprah before there was an Oprah. Hugely popular and a truly giving person.

The point she makes is true for us all. We have gifts unique to us, talents we know and others we figure out later. Finding them … and finding ways to express them … is one of our jobs, maybe one of our most important. We can look at our lives and realize we are in fact filled with talent, but we may not fully appreciate it.

But here’s the thing … a single mother has a rare talent, keeping her family together and raising responsible citizens … a senior citizen has a rare talent, sharing knowledge and memories and a more tender care for life … a businesswoman has a rare talent, building a company that employs people that don’t have the resources to do it for themselves … a priest has a rare talent and an opportunity to bring people the comfort of faith … and you too have a rare talent, whatever it may be. And your talent never ends. It builds on itself, changing shape with time and experience, revealing itself in many different ways and many different places.

I pray that, like Erma, we can stand before God someday and know that we did in fact use everything we were given … every last bit.