Anna, Sophia Brotherhood
Sometimes we try to break through the thickest ice and be active in serving God and the Church in every possible area – regardless of whether we are truly gifted or simply doing a poor imitation. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit may already be filling us with a real Gift, one that in its simplicity is more multifaceted and precious than all the others combined – those not meant for us, but for someone else.
In trying to shatter ice beyond our strength, we may be unconsciously trying to prove to our brothers and sisters in the faith that we’re better than we actually are, that we can handle it all. We want to leap out of our own “skirts” just to measure up to someone else’s height – yes, we’re showing off. Yet instead, we should be cultivating what the Holy Spirit has laid as the foundation of our soul – so that the house we build is founded on rock (Christ), not sand (ambition), and so that it won’t collapse in the whirlwind of trials, but instead multiplies the talent tenfold.
As the Apostle Paul reminds us:
“By the grace given to me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
In this passage, Paul is not just listing the possible forms of service to God – he’s reminding us of the harmony within the Church as the Body of Christ. He draws attention to the fact that each gift is important because it was given by the Holy Spirit from birth. It may not reveal itself right away, and it certainly cannot be judged by outward appearance, volume, or public approval.
We often compare ourselves with other parishioners or clergy who, at first glance, seem to possess greater or more visible gifts – fiery preaching, angelic singing in the choir, leadership skills. Yet often the seemingly invisible things—listening to someone, offering a comforting hug, speaking a word of hope, or even writing texts like these—are just as much forms of ministry. And they may weigh more than all the treasures of the world.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t always lead me where I want to go – where my body would feel most comfortable and at ease. Every morning He takes me by the hand and opens the door to my grandmother’s room, where diapers, breakfast-lunch-dinner prep, and bed linen changes await me – things the “old self” finds difficult to accept. But the new self knows: only in this place can I truly learn to Love.
Because true vocation is not always a microphone and a pulpit. Sometimes it’s what remains behind the curtain – in the quiet tap of keys and in a heart that silently loves…
Sometimes, recognizing a gift isn’t about discovering something new. It’s about returning to what’s always been within us since childhood—the ability to listen, to see, to write, to embrace, to heal with words, to empathize. All of these are small seeds of ministry that God longs to grow into a fig tree. And will we not allow Him to transform our hearts into a fig tree that bears fruit – not when it’s seen, but when the Creator breathes upon it?
Prayer:
Lord, I don’t have a beautiful voice to glorify You in song. In important moments, I sweat, nearly faint, and can barely string together two coherent sentences. But I boast in my weaknesses, for in them You show Your Power.
Forgive me for trying to clothe myself in the garments of others – ones that seem more attractive to human eyes than my own.
But if the Word is Your gift to my heart, then let it, through what is written, touch human souls and penetrate them by the Holy Spirit.
Yes, I know that perhaps no one will ever read my texts – except for my spiritual father and a few others. My book won’t enter the list of global or even Ukrainian bestsellers.
But I am sure that through the hands tapping this keyboard, it is You who act… And that alone is enough for happiness!
Lord, teach me to value not the scale of action, but Your presence in every word, touch, and movement.
Thank You for my grandmother – through caring for her, You, my Father, are teaching Your daughter how to love…
And let me serve You and Your Church not for my own glory, but to multiply Your light.
Amen.