Celebrating Me! And You! And You, Too!

Becky asked me a good question the other day. "Is it wrong to, like, say that you're pretty if you are?" (I left the "like" in there because in that instance she was using it to convey the idea of an example rather than to interject something 'teen' into a sentence.)

It was ironic that she'd ask this question because I'd just read a blog post about something very similar. My friend at Burgh Baby was saying how we should celebrate our talents. Kids are so good at this (Hey, mom! Look at me! I'm riding my bike!) but somehow as we get older, we get the notion that taking credit for our accomplishments is wrong.
So Becky and I came to the conclusion that if you are pretty, it's alright to say so. If you can color well, it's okay to admit it. If you excel at sports, it's not bragging to say, "I'm good at soccer." But there's a fine line between taking pride in our accomplishments and bragging.

I think motive is a huge factor in determining anything that we say or do. If what we're saying is for the express purpose of making someone else feel inferior, it's wrong. If it's to self-deprecate, it's also wrong. But I think it's healthy to take pride in accomplishments. And I think we're doing our Creator a disservice to say that we've got no talents or beauty when He's taken time to give each of us something to be complimented and used.

Because Burgh Baby's mom is a wonderful example (in a lot of ways), I'm going to follow her lead. I'm just going to step out there and list a few things that I'm good at. Things that I'm proud of myself for. Things that I need to take ownership of.

1. I'm creative. While I may not be the best at coming up with original ideas, I can replicate someone else's idea pretty well without instructions. My home is filled with things that I've seen in magazines, loved, and made. If it involves a glue gun, sewing machine, or any kind of hands-on activity, I'm your girl.

2. I can teach. I teach Sunday School and Wednesday night Kids Club, and have learned that teaching comes naturally to me.

3. I can handle life's pressures pretty well. I'll gladly admit that stress will set me on edge, but I'm pretty good at taking that stress and using it to accomplish what needs to happen instead of coming apart at the seams.

4. I can organize well. I break things down into categories and groups, I label things, I neatly arrange by color and size. When I set about to clean something, it automatically gets organized in the process. It's the way my brain works.

5. I'm a incurable optimist. I see everything as a challenge to accept, a good time to be had, or an opportunity to learn.

6. I'm reliable. If I tell you I'll get something done, or be somewhere, I'll have it done and be there. It might be complete last minute, but it'll be done. And if something comes up that I absolutely can't fulfill what I've promised, I'll let you know ahead of time.

7. I'm a do-it-yourselfer. The sense of pride and accomplishment at a job well done is so much better than paying someone to do it for me. Plus it affords me the opportunity to learn something new if I don't know exactly what I'm doing. I'm not afraid to self-teach, either. But that's in the DIY category.

So what have you got? God has given each of us abilities and talents and it would be wrong of us to say that we've got none. Give me your best list!

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them... Romans 12:6