A Gift for All

 Christmas is coming up, and the holiday season often feels chaotic with everything going on. One of the major parts for most of us, I think, is the giving and receiving of gifts.

This past week, I had the opportunity to watch the opening two episodes of The Chosen. I've mentioned the show in a past blog post, and if anyone is unfamiliar with it, I recommend watching it. It's about Christ's ministry and the first twelve apostles. The episodes pick up with Christ's sermon on the mount, the infamous beatitude chapters. There were two parts that stuck out to me clearly, which I've pondered on for many days. The first is about how the Sermon on the Mount was a message for all. There is something in there for everyone. I always tried gleaming as much as possible from it and tried to follow all of the messages at once, whether I needed it at that time or not, but after this past week, I realized that every message, every verse, everything truly good that I read or listen to has a message for me. He said as He has said many times throughout the scriptures, to not be anxious or worried, and that's definitely a message I need.

I've heard that when one writes or gives a speech, to write it or direct it toward one or two individuals. I wonder if Jesus did this when preparing the sermon. Did He think about His disciples? Was there a specific person He considered at the time? Or did he think about all of us- past and future- and say it all at once?

The second thing that stuck out to me was when He sent the twelve out as his apostles. He told them to take nothing with them, and when they questioned Him, He said that He wanted them to rely more on Heavenly Father. How often have I tried to do everything on my own? Honestly, it has been more than I should have. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin" (Matthew 6:28). If our Heavenly Father has taken care of all that's on the earth, why wouldn't He watch over and help us?

I think that what He's telling us is to slow down, learn from Him, and focus. He has a gift to give us, and He wants us to hold on long enough to receive that gift- to slow down, stop worrying, and trust in Him. Our Heavenly Father will watch over us, and there's a message and a gift for each of us.

Our Own Gifts

 A movie came out not long ago that many have already heard about. It's called Encanto and is a Disney movie. It isn't my favorite movie and might not even make the top ten, but besides the music, there is one thing I love about it. Every person in la Familia Madrigal has a unique gift, meant to bless others. It's a part of what makes each member unique, even the main character, Mirabel, who thinks she is "giftless." Sure, some gifts are more prevalent than others. There's a flower-producing character, a super-strong sister, a cousin that can change into other people, the main character's mother who can heal people with food, and an aunt that affects the weather. 

But it's not those gifts that I noticed. Mirabel's parents stand up for her when Abuela thinks she's in the way. Cousin Camillo looks out for Mirabel. Tio Bruno gives up using his gift of foresight to protect Mirabel from becoming ostracized. Cousin Antonio has a great love for her, looking up to Mirabel as an older sister. And Mirabel, though she doesn't realize it, has a bit of foresight like Bruno, interacts with animals like Antonio, and has the ability to bring her family together, not to mention the courage she shows. Some gifts were more visible than others, but everyone had a gift or talent to share.

Earlier, I was reading about Christ's visit to his disciples after his resurrection. A handful of them went fishing without luck, and Christ called to them from the shore, telling them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. When they realized it was the Lord on the beach, they hurried to him and shared a meal. At the end of the chapter, after Jesus asks Peter three times "Do you love me?" and Peter answers him, Jesus foretells Peter's ministry and death. And then Peter asks the Lord about John. I can imagine him saying,

"Lord, it's good that I get to be a teacher and serve the people here. I'm sorry I came back to fish, but I will do better. I will do what you ask of me from now on. By the way, what will John be doing? Will he be doing the same thing, too?"

And Jesus answers, "Does it matter? He has his own responsibility. I was talking to you not him."

Often, I'm caught up in the idea that I need to be doing what others are doing. Many people my age already have careers. Some of them have families. Some are married, living in houses, and seem to have life figured out already. But I think of those words, "He [she] has his [her] own responsibility. I was talking to you," and I think about how each of the Familia Madrigal had gifts and talents that were unique. What others are doing or how they're doing it should not affect how I live or what I do. Each of us is on our own path, and the Lord has different assignments for each of us. Our unique talents and responsibilities make us special, and those gifts don't have to be magical. It's okay if they're simple talents or gifts. Because every gift is necessary.