Talents

For the past several months, I've been continually pondering over what talents I have and how the Lord wants me to use them. What talents should I strive to develop? Which ones aren't as important? While I put the subject on the shelf for a while, tonight it came up in a conversation I was having with my friend. We had been talking for a while and the evening was coming to a close. Right as she was leaving, I expressed to her how grateful I was to her for being the amazing woman that she is and for using her talents to serve and uplift others, like she had me. As I pondered on these talents of hers, I started musing to myself about how many people my friend would be able to help Heavenly Father serve if she continues developing her talents as she already has. She has the potential to help so many people! The thought made me excited for her and for me and for everyone.

We all have talents, and because we all have talents we all have something to be excited for. We don't know in the present moment how Heavenly Father will use us, through our talents, to help those around us in the future. But it is exciting to imagine the many ways that He may, and will be even more exciting to see how He really does.

So yes--talents are exciting; not just for the joy they bring us when we use them in the moment, but for the thought of the joy that they may bring others when we use them in the future.

"God knows our gifts. My challenge to you and to me is to pray to know the gifts we have been given, to know how to develop them, and to recognize the opportunities to serve others that God provides us." -President Henry B. Eyring ("Help Them Aim High," October 2012)