Bowling

I’ve never been an athlete. Can’t even pretend to be. My talent level with any activity requiring strong hand-eye coordination, a ball, a net, a racket, a bat, a golf club or a hockey puck (or even skates, for that matter) is fairly low. And combining running or catching with a ball and avoiding obstacles? Truly, utterly impossible.

However, when my beloved suggested bowling for our date night last week, I thought, “now that’s a sports-like activity even I can do.”

Yeah, I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Turns out, I’m as terrible a bowler as I forgot I was. My score was about a third of my husband’s. After multiple rounds of gutter ball after gutter ball, if I even got a few pins down, I felt like I had accomplished something great.

And get this – as bad as I was (I bowled 50, friends – that’s truly awful), I woke up the next day with a sore shoulder. A bowling injury. No joke.

When I was attempting to hurtle those ten-pound deadweights down the polished wood lane, I was reminded of this: we all have our strengths, and we all have our weaknesses. Not one of us is good at everything, but we’re all created to be good at something. My ‘something’ just doesn’t happen to be bowling.

We kill our own talents and gifts in coveting the gifts others have been given, neglecting our own gifts and letting self-pity hobble us or let jealousy turn us bitter. Conversely, we might so elevate our gifts as to almost eliminate the gifts of others, becoming unbearably arrogant. I suspect most of us, if we’re to be honest, would gravitate to one of these weaknesses.

So, although I was downright awful at bowling, I was so very proud of my beloved, who, despite not lifting one of those 14-pound deadweights in years, bowled a half decent game. Because you know what? Bowling wasn’t the point. Relationship was.

And isn’t loving relationship – whether with family, friends or a spouse – where our best gifts should shine brightest?

Here’s hoping you surround yourself with those people who help your gifts shine, friend.

Ellen

AND… a giveaway!

Want to have an encouraging, heart-warming date night next week? I have been given two Admit Two passes for When the Game Stands Tall to share with my friends here!

(Also, this is our next very safe date night)

Just post a comment below to stick up your hand, and tell me about your gifts!

I’ll select recipients by this Thursday at 4:30 PM Eastern. *note – these passes are good for Canadian friends only.