Imagine that you walk into a flower nursery. You are looking for some plants that can be placed in a particular spot in your yard that will produce beautiful flowers all summer long. As you describe the location where you are hoping to plant these, you are impressed with the worker’s knowledge of how much sun the plants will get, the amount of water required for healthy growth, when to expect blooms, and even potential problems that you may encounter. And yes, they can even tell you pre-emptive actions to take to avoid those problems.
However, take this same gardening need to a first grader (or to me for that matter), and the totality of instructions you are likely to receive may be, “Take the plant and stick it in the dirt,” which, of course, is unlikely to meet with success. Why? Experience. The child could hang out with the experienced gardener and gain the necessary knowledge, but it takes time and work. However, if they are willing to do so, they too can become landscaping experts.
We often marvel at those who are experts at something, frequently feeling that we are not. But I would contend that the appropriate questions isn’t “Do you have experiences?” as much as it is, “What experiences do you house?” We all are knowledgeable and have gifting’s in some areas and these can be used to help other people. They can be used to make a difference.
So, I encourage you to ask yourself on this Monday – “What skills have I gained, what life lessons have I acquired that I can use to impact others in a positive manner in their journey?”