You’ve probably heard the phrase before, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” I’ve always secretly thought of myself in this way. Of course instead of the name “Jack” I would interchange it for “Jill.” You see I’m not someone who has one thing that they love or a solitary thing that I’m passionate about. My passions spread all over the place. I would pray and pray, “Lord why couldn’t I have been a doctor? Lawyer? Teacher?” because you see those folks have one thing that they pursued higher education for, graduated, and did it. I’m not suggesting that they are by any means limited to that passion only, but they are more likely to function best in that vein. I mean it’s kind of cool to look back over my life and see all the areas of impact I’ve been blessed to have in various arenas, and I certainly have a story or one hundred to tell my future children and grandchildren. However the path has been a winding and sometimes frustrating one for me.
I didn’t set out to do many different things, and often dreamed that one thing could capture my heart and arrest my attention forever. At 37 years old I can tell you that has yet to happen at least in a less than broad way. Instead of beating myself up over it I’ve learned to harness it. I’ve also learned to be a great discerner of seasons and times. What I mean by that is I can accurately detect when a time frame is good to do something, and when that window of opportunity is justifiably closed. I can almost literally feel when it’s time to pull the plug, or when it’s best to begin. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1a ESV) It has helped so much in order to remain focused on whatever I am doing at the moment. There are definitely callings I feel heavily that the Lord has embedded in my heart to walk in. But even with that, they manifest themselves in various ways. Refusing to fret is a learned behavior. I know that I am unique and I also know that God made me just the way He wanted me. So instead of looking to others and marveling at the way God uses them, I’ve chosen to accept and love how God has chosen to use me.
If you are someone who finds yourself with interests everywhere and maybe you are trying to do anything that is put before you, but you are seemingly failing at everything. Put your life before the Lord in prayer. Ask for His guidance on when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” Petition Him for direction and He will show you where you need to be, when you need to be there and with whom. While you may never master only one thing, you still want to be the best you can possible be at the three, four or five He has graced you to be.
