When I was in high school, I attended a weekend retreat that had a profound effect on me. The pastor shared a parable about heaven and hell. It goes something like this: A holy man asked God what heaven and hell were like. God showed him two rooms. In the first room, the man’s eyes were drawn to a large round table overflowing with every luscious food and delicacy a person could possibly desire. As his mouth began to water, he suddenly became aware of the ghastly figures surrounding the table. They were terribly malnourished and were screaming and groaning in agony. Then, he noticed that each had a three foot long spoon attached to one hand, while the other hand was tied behind their back. The long spoons were too long to reach their mouths. Because their focus was only on feeding themselves, they were covered in pieces of food, but none had reached their mouths. They were being consumed by their frustrations and anger. And God said, “This is hell.”
The holy man was then shown the second room. His eyes were immediately drawn to the same sumptuous feast on the large round table, however in this room, he heard the sounds of laughter and joy. As he looked at the people around the table, they were well fed and flourishing. Each person had the same long spoon attached to one hand and the other tied behind their back. The difference was that each person used the long spoon to serve and feed their neighbor. And God said, “This is heaven.”
We can learn much from this parable. We live on an incredible planet that is abundant and rich in resources. There is plenty for all to enjoy and flourish, except the majority are not serving their neighbor. But as tragic as this truth is, I believe there is bigger tragedy in the incredible loss of the resources within each one of us. The far majority of people in the world have no idea of how truly gifted they are. Because they do not know, they do not offer their gifts, and in turn, they do not experience the great joy that comes from contributing their gifts for the benefit of others. In the end, the world suffers by the loss of their unique contributions.
At Equip 2 Equip, we get to participate in the process of helping our clients discover their extensive talents and strengths, the depth of their motivations, their amazing intelligences, and so much more. It can be a bit overwhelming for some of our clients as they discover how wonderfully gifted they truly are, and how much they have to offer to others, to their communities, and to the world. Soon they discover they have passion, a sense of purpose and a powerful motivation to share their amazing gifts with their communities and the world in ways that make a significant difference for good. And we get to share in their joy!
Do you know how uniquely talented, motivated, and gifted you are? Do you consistently experience the joy of offering your gifts and talents to others? If not, we would love to come alongside you to help you discover your unique gifts.
Check out our website at www.equip2equip.com and contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
