It is my opinion that on Judgment Day, the first question God asks is not about the Ten Commandments (although He gets to them later!) but what He asks each of us is this: "What did you do with the time and the talents I gave you?I couldn't agree with Fr. Tribou more because I believe using the talents God gives us is what makes life fulfilling. And the good thing is, each person receives a talent or two, and our work is to identify, develop and use the talents.
My friend Ngishili Njuguna compared the talents we receive to a vase someone gifts us. We can hide the vase under the bed to prevent it from breaking. Or we can showcase it in the living room.
Hiding the vase under the bed has not given it meaning, but showcasing it in the living room has. We should therefore showcase our talents instead of hiding them due to fear of criticism.
But Ngishili made another important point: a vase is good for displaying flowers but will easily break when used as a hammer for nails. So it is important we know where to apply our talents most effectively.
As for me, I identified my talents: walking, reading, writing, music, socializing and public speaking. I'm now converting them from something I have to do to something I love to do. See?
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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story, you might also enjoy "It Pays to Use Our Talents".
