Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
As anyone who reads this blog or knows me is well aware, there are a lot of things I don’t do well: Control my facial expressions. Hold my tongue. Exercise patience. Acknowledge my God-given gifts. Oh, I’m better at some of them than I once was, but still nowhere near where the Lord desires me to be. I suspect many of you could come up with a list like this. 
For me, it’s a lot easier than rattling off what I think I do well.
Today’s reading from 1 Corinthians challenges those of us who can recite a litany of our flaws:
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:27-31, NRSVCE)
In one way or another, we do have all these gifts, and maybe what we regard as flaws and rightly seek to improve can from time to time be useful to others: maybe my lack of patience sometimes moves along stalled processes, for example, or my doubtful, quizzical looks help others revisit faulty plans.
Which gifts we have in which situation isn’t as important as exercising them, weak or strong, at every opportunity. May we worry less about exercising them with perfection… and more about offering them with faith, hope, and love.
