Praise, Praise, Praise! You Are Amazing!

Praise, Praise, Praise! You are amazing!

Have you ever been praised by a friend or co-worker, and your family members dismissed their compliments? “She is so giving, with a heart of gold, a true blessing to all of us!” A family member responds, “Are you talking about my daughter and their sister?” She is weak, sensitive and has no real drive”. “You are fortunate Mr. Jones, your wife is so beautiful and a joy to all who meet her”. “What do you mean”, he thinks, “she does nothing special and her looks are ordinary”. “Sir, your son has an amazing spirit and a great love for God. You must cultivate his faith so that he may grow in his love for Christ, perhaps seek a life in priesthood, and be an example to us all.” Father’s response, “Father, I do not know what you are talking about, my son, just a teenager, is not even average, he stays in his room, only wants to read, he helps the old folks in our neighborhood, teaches little children, and does not speak much in the house, you must be talking about another boy”.

Did you know that Jesus taught in the synagogue and astounded many by His wisdom. The people knew that great deeds and power were with Him. However, they said, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” They took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them,

“Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown,
and among their own kin, and in their own house.”

Jesus could not do his great works among his own, because the people undervalued Him, were too close and were blinded by their own opinions and ideas about his life and worth!

All of us are special and we possess wonderful gifts we often call talents. We think our talent must be something so substantial that it should impress large audiences. We might even believe that talents are only those that could make us famous or rich.

The gifts that we possess may not necessarily be larger than life. Although we might envy someone who can sing like Celine Dion or Barbara Streisand or, we may badly imitate Michael Jackson’s moon dance and be laughed at for trying, we can mistakenly rate gifts according to the biggest in the eyes of the world.

Our gifts do not come from man, but from God. We may have a knack for writing, telling jokes, fixing computers, a head for numbers, or organizational skills. One might have extreme patience to work with the handicapped or compassion to work with the physically abused.

You might be the next Emeril, the next Mark Phelps, the next Mother Theresa, or the next Pope. You could be the neighborhood’s best shoe shiner, dog trainer, housekeeper, painter, landscaper, produce man, or hairstylist.

Be proud of what you do. There is nothing too menial, miniscule, or insignificant about your contribution to a work, home, community, country or world.

All things require skills, time, and effort by one or many to get a job done. Honor God for the gifts He’s given you. Take time to praise Him, praise others, and always work with passion and love in your heart. With a gift from the heart, it can only be glorified by God and will be received in the spirit for which it will be intended, "a gift to others".

Put your hands out in front of you and examine them. Think about the incredible intricacies of their structure; the bones, ligaments, nails, and creases. Now look at the scars, years, stories, places, experiences, and the time they have left to lend a hand, to create, and to bless.

Look around, you don’t have to go far to find gifts in others. Something simple, innocent or common can be the greatest gift. Look beyond the faults of yourself, your loved ones, friends and the world; the Lord knows we all have them and he looks beyond yours and loves you more than ever.

Praise all and you will quickly see how negativity fades. The more we praise, the closer we get to living like Jesus.

Pray with me:

LORD BLESS MY HANDS

Lord bless my hands
So that they may define
Who I am

Help me to be conscious
Of doing for others
And not for myself

Open my eyes to your ways
So that I might imitate
And bring You honor.

Thank You dear Lord
For all Your gifts
Still unknown to me

I receive Your blessings
Knowing I am capable
Of all that You ask of me.

Amen.