“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10
In prayer today, I was standing at the sliding doors at the back of my house, looking with awe at God’s creation. It’s still winter, but I can clearly see the amazing variety of trees dotting my property line. That got me thinking; then it got me thanking…
God cares about us so much that He gave us the trees! They’re beautiful to look at. They shade us in the sun. They entertain us by the changing of their colors. They make us desire their green leaves after a long winter. However, the greatest gift God presented us with when He created the trees was OXYGEN!
We breath in the oxygen produced by a tree’s leaves. Wait! What about the winter, when there are no leaves on most trees? God thought of everything! Lucky for us, there are evergreen trees that produce a little oxygen via their needles. The opposing hemisphere has opposite seasons, providing the earth with a continuous production of oxygen. Also, the phytoplankton in the ocean create some O2 as well! Didn’t the Creator of the Universe think of everything?
God naturally created us to be excellent stewards of His gifts. No matter what He blesses us with, He wants us to give back—even to trees! We all know that when we exhale, we expel carbon dioxide. This is how the trees breathe! Without us even thinking about it, God designed man to receive His gifts (in this case, oxygen) and to selflessly give back. There’s no way we can stop the process of creating CO2 for trees while we are alive! There’s no way we can stop the process of giving! I never thought about it this way!
As we go about our day, wouldn’t it be amazing if we could be aware of other things God has gifted us and make a point to bless others with them? After all, He modeled it for us in the way He created the symbiotic relationship between humans and trees!
Do you play a musical instrument? Play for others! Bring them joy and bring down their stress levels.
Are you good with numbers? Help a friend or volunteer to assist others with their tax preparation.
Do you understand thick accents and want to help non-native English speakers? Tutor someone in ESL.
Are you a real Bob the Builder? Join a Habitat for Humanity build.
Do you make a mean apple pie? Make two and give one to someone who least expects it.
Are you funny? Post your humorous thoughts on social media! You never know who needs a smile.
There are countless gifts God has doled out to mankind; thus, there are countless ways we can give back to others using our God-given talents and abilities. The more you practice this way of life, the more automatic it becomes…like the oxygen cycle between people and trees!
Pamela's Pulpit 