I have been thinking for some time about the gifts that God gives to people. Not just the gifts, but the talents, the personalities, the thought processes. How amazingly-beautifully-hand-crafted each and every single person is!
My sister, Jamie, and I started a fundraising race to help raise awareness, and funds, to combat human trafficking. Let me tell you about our personalities. Jamie is what I would refer to as a “free spirit.” The girl
cannot plan a day. But everything gets done. Everything works out. She’s an idea person. She can dream up and trust God for the moon, wrapped in a bow and hand delivered. She dreams. She asks. She trusts. She receives.
I am more of an “administrator.” Nothing gets my heart racing quite like talking spreadsheets, budgets and planning. Idea people scare me. A lot. They don’t usually see all of the steps, and work necessary to get from idea to finished product. However, without idea people I would do nothing. I would have nothing to do. Someone had to be given ‘practical’ gifts, and I was one of them. Because I see the steps involved in getting a dream or project off the ground, and all of the possible wrenches, set backs and work involved I have often quit before starting. Before this turns into an introspective self-awareness pep-talk, let me get to the point. Without Jamie, I would never have actually taken the burning in my heart from desire, past dreaming, and into reality. Within two phone calls to my sister, she had ‘bumped into’ people, found venues and vendors, and the ball was rolling and gaining momentum. Meanwhile I was still “counting the cost” (and probably not in a good, Biblical way). And so we were off.
I have a feeling that at (most) times during our planning each year Jamie feels like I’m just a big ‘ol stick in the mud. But each year, an event is planned, racers show up, and there is money to contribute to a cause.
I am sure there are people in your life that are so different from you in the way they dream, prepare and accomplish that it can be frustrating, and seem like it would be easier to do it without them. If we can all learn to work together, and draw from the strengths of each other we will be able to take more ground than ever for the Kingdom of God!
I have learned great lessons through the process of working with Jamie! People are different. Waaaaay different. And we desperately need each other.
For more about the Race for Freedom – check out our website!
