The Holy Spirit...

Do you know your spiritual gift? I have taken those spiritual inventory test before and can't remember if it was mercy or serving.  The sermon this morning on the Holy Spirit was about spiritual gifts.  If you are a christian then you have a spiritual gift.  First question was: 1. Are you a christian? 2. Do you have a gift? and 3. Are you operating in your gift? The place was full of hands up for the 1st question then they started dropping on the second question and then there where not many hands up when it came to the 3rd question, including mine.  The answer to the second question is yes if you are a christian then you have a gift. I couldn't remember what my gift was at first then I wasn't sure I was even using it.  Then it came later in the sermon that some of us know the gift but question God as to why he would give us that gift or we are afraid to use it because we do not want to mess it up.  That is also because we are not letting the Holy Spirit lead us we are trying to do it in our own power.  WOW! That is me! Everyday and every Sunday I learn something more about me and how I come short of what God wants from me. I am so thankful for people in my life that are willing to invest in my journey of healing and are willing to speak truth either directly or indirectly.  God blesses us in so many ways but we tend to take Him and His gifts for granted.  I am still struggling with writing down the gifts that I do see, but I am verbally thanking God for them.  My heart is beginning to open.  I am still very excited for what the Lord is going to do with, through and in me this year.  I have already taken the step to reconcile with my mother.  There will be more to come as I realized last night there needs to be more said. I am thinking maybe it is time to sit down and write a letter to my dad.  I will never send it as his illness would not warrant that.  But if it is written to him as if I where sitting there then maybe I can start to get some healing in my heart and forgive him for the crime he did.  I will also need to somehow reconcile with my brother and his family.  I also  need to contact another brother and talk with him.  I have a gut feeling he has had to endure many of the same heartaches as I.  I need to let the Holy Spirit lead me in that one.  God is truly amazing!  So I encourage you to keep up with the gift counting and keep on keeping on. God bless!