The Forgotten Box

I did not play with dolls very much as a little girl.
I had a Barbie doll, but she was not a favorite of mine.
It was more fun having the clothes and accessories.
I kept them in a little box that had hangers and a place for the shoes.

I did not play with a baby doll very much either.
I was not the girl you would see carrying a doll with a bottle for feeding.
I had a little coach for my doll and even had a small bathtub to give her a bath.
Mostly, those things stayed in my room since other things took up my playtime.

I liked imaginative play.
I pretended that I was a teacher with a desk and a bell and a pointer.
My blackboard had the spelling words that my class needed to know.
I even had a library of all my books with library cards and everything.

I liked to play dress up.
I pretended that I was on the stage.
A lamp in my room, with the lampshade turned just right, became my spotlight.
Any dolls I did have became my audience.

I remember the box on my closet floor.
It was a large, rectangular box, which tended to have other things on top of it.
Inside that box was a ballerina doll.
She was dressed all in gold; her hair was styled in a tight bun at the back of her neck.

She even had earrings that were really straight pins that went inside her earlobes.
She had long fingers and even longer legs.
Her feet had gold toe shoes that actually tied around her ankles.
She was almost too lovely to play with.

She was so lovely that I was not allowed to play with her.
I really don’t know why, except that perhaps she was much too fancy.
She was too fancy and I was too little.
It became the one thing I could not have and the one thing I wanted the most.

Seeing that box on my closet floor was temptation enough.
What good was a doll in a box if you couldn’t play with her?
The box had a distinctive smell every time I opened it.
It was the smell of newness.

I would open the box and peek inside.
The ballerina doll never moved; she always had the same expression on her face.
Her gold dress never wrinkled, her shoes never wore out.
After a while, I rarely opened the box.

To this day I can only suppose why I was not to play with her.
Toys were to be played with, to be enjoyed.
After a while, more and more things got piled on top of that box in my closet.
After a while, I forgot that she was there.

Toys, like sneakers, need to look old after a while.
If they are used, they will show signs of wear.
If they are not used, they will look brand new for far too long.
They are not being used in the way they were designed.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues. All these are the works of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

We have each been given a spiritual gift.
A gift that God intends for us to use for the common good.
A gift that will bring Him glory.
A gift that will display the Kingdom living that He desires us to live out before others.

What if we kept our spiritual gift in a box?
Tucked away in our closet, with worldly concerns piled high upon it.
A box that never gets opened.
A box that is forgotten.

We can make excuses.
We are too young.
We are busy doing other things.
We will pull out our box when it is needed.

Believe me, it is needed.
Your gift is needed.
The gift that God gave you can only be done by you in the way He intended.
Tucked away, hidden; it does nothing.

Your gift will grow stagnant when it is not used.
God has a specific purpose for your gift.
A purpose that brings Him glory and edifies others.
A unique gift that only you can do in exactly the way God designed.

Take the box out of the closet.
Take your gift out of the box.
Your gift should be worn from wear.
The smell of newness should be long gone.

Your gift is not to look at and admire.
Your gift is to build others up.
Your gift is to spotlight God.
Your gift is not to be forgotten.

Do you see the box?
Open it.
The world is waiting for what is inside.
The world needs what you have; the world needs your unique God-given gift.

 

2 responses to “The Forgotten Box”

1. I wonder how many people’s gifts are unopened, or hidden away because of lack of confidence, lack of appreciation to God, or other reasons. Just like I’ve heard people who say, “I can’t draw at all” really do have talent when they try. We need to try to find that gift that we can do for God’s glory, whether it is sending cards, praying, or finding a special talent that we can share with others. He has gifted all of us in some way, or maybe many ways. I am so appreciative that you, Gina, are sharing your talent of writing to bring glory to God and insights to us, your readers. God bless you!

   Reply

   • Sue,
     Thank you for your gift of encouragement. I think as parents we need to help our children realize that gift that God gave them. We should then encourage them to use that gift for His glory. I am delighted that you are blessed by the Whispers I record each day.
     Gina

     Reply