My husband, Phil, lost his favorite pair of gloves.  Phil has very unusual hands.  His fingers are short with a square palm.  Phil has a Fire Hand – as Palmistry calls it.  (As a palmist, I told Phil when we first met that I had to read his palm before I would dance with him.  Not only is his hand shape an unusual one, he had some markings and lines I’d never seen before.  Phil’s Fire Hand means he is intense and driven.  So, I thought, “Well, what the heck!  This should be interesting!”  Our lives together have been “interesting” to say the least!) 

My palm shape, by the way, is a Water Hand – long palm, long fingers as one who is in touch with emotions, intuition, and psychic abilities. (Surprise! lol)  FYI, an Air Hand is one that has a square palm and long fingers.  This person is intellectually curious, analytical, and usually can communicate clearly.  An Earth Hand is pretty square in shape – square palm with fingers equal in size with the palm.  These individuals are grounded, stable, salt-of-the-earth kind of folks.  More often than not, I’m finding people with combinations of these characteristics, so these are gross generalities. People are often a mixture of these characteristics and qualities.

So, with Phil’s Fire Hand, finding gloves that fit is a real challenge.  Most men’s gloves that are wide enough for his palm are too long in the fingers. So, he decided it was time to look through an old tub of winter stuff to see if there were any suitable gloves in there.  We hadn’t touched that tub for several years and it was crammed in a closet with blankets stacked on top. 

Amazing the stuff that can be found when we take the time to look.  Lo and behold, there was a second pair of gloves just like the ones he had just lost!  He was delighted.  I also found the glove mate that had gone missing last spring.  (Like I said, we had not been in this tub for several years, so finding the missing glove was pretty strange.  Hmmm.  Interesting.)

We also found zip out hoods to coats we no longer own – those get to be tossed.  We also found several pairs of gloves that didn’t fit right.  Those can be re-homed.  We also found some other usable items that we didn’t even remember we had!  Fun!  Kind of like a mini-Christmas!

The key will be where to put those items so they are used and not just put the back in the tub to hibernate for a few more years. 

So it is with our spiritual gifts.  We store them away because we are not using them.  Our child-like wonder gets stuffed away because we are busy earning a living.  Or, our intuitive insights get stuffed because our world calls for us to focus on the facts.  Or, our ability to heal ourselves and others because, well, we don’t really believe we can do those things – even though a mother’s kiss makes any boo-boo feel better.  We toss our joyful exuberance out the window because life seems to require us to be serious all the time – or it has sucked the joy right out of living!

Even though we may not recognize them at the moment, those gifts are still there.  Waiting for our attention.  It’s not use it or lose it.  No.  Those spiritual gifts are just waiting for our renewed interest and attention.

What are spiritual gifts?  (I Corinthians 12: 4-11)  Being able to serve others with a warm heart is a spiritual gift (manifestation of Spirit for the common good).  Not everyone can do this!!  Using one’s time and energy wisely is a spiritual gift (word of wisdom) and to be able to share this with others (word of knowledge).  Not everyone can or will do this!!  Deep faith in a power greater than one’s self is a spiritual gift (faith).  Not everyone can perceive with expanded awareness!!!  Healing abilities is a spiritual gift.  With the myriad of healing modalities out there, it’s not the modality that heals – it’s the one Divinely gifted with spiritual healing - the one who is wielding that Divine Connection using healing techniques that can assist the healing process for themselves or another (gift of healing). 

Being able to intuit the signs along the way is a spiritual gift.  What a beautiful gift to be able to perceive life from this perspective (prophecy).  Discernment, knowing what is right for you and what is not, is a spiritual gift. How powerful to be able to rely upon one’s Divine Connection to know one’s truth rather than falling prey to other people’s opinions (distinguishing spirits).  Joy is a spiritual gift!  Can you allow that to re-awaken within you?  Child-like wonder allows us to see things from the perspective of innocence and delight.  How cool is that!?!

Don’t feel like you have any spiritual gifts?  Ask for spiritual gifts to be gifted to you!  They are GIFTS!!!  We don’t earn them!  They are GIFTS!!  Be open to receiving these gifts!

Once you ask, follow your open heart to discover and learn new ways of being present in your own life and the spiritual gifts will reveal themselves to you.  You will discover ways in which to access and utilize these spiritual gifts to help yourself and to be a blessing to others.

Whether you once had a spiritual gift and it’s been tucked away, unnoticed for years, or perhaps you feel you have not yet received a spiritual gift - Open up.  Ask.  Notice.  Pay attention.  Follow the guidance you sense, or feel, or discover. 

Your gift can change the world.  Your gift, re-awakened or newly received, will bless you and the world around you. 

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