Gift Doesn’t Age

January 30, 2011

by — Posted in Imago Dei

How very sad that my last post was almost half a year ago. A lot can happen in a half a year. Recently I’ve been reading back through a journal I’ve been writing in on and off (much like this blog) since The summer of 2008. Two and a half years ago seems like a short time, yet so much has changed since then. I’m reading about my confidence and how I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to lead students… and here I am, two years in and it’s natural, like breathing. Not at all saying I don’t need help or that I have it all figured out, it’s just that now I know I’m in for life.

Last week I had the privilege of hearing one of the wisest people I know of speak on women in ministry. Jill Briscoe is 75 years old and still doing ministry. She said something that I will never forget. “Gift doesn’t age.” It came to here when she felt old (around the age of 50) and out of touch with the youth she was ministering to, and she realized that no matter how old she got, her gifting, what she was called to do didn’t really change. It gives some perspective to those young ones of us who worry that we won’t get everything done that we want to accomplish in our ministry. God willing, I have many, many years of ministry left. I don’t have to fit it all in right now. I can take my time, learn, grow. I will probably do a lot of different things in my life, and that’s ok. I might even spend a long time at some of them, but there will probably be many different phases. How comforting to know that God has gifted me for the long haul, and will gift me for each endeavor along the way.