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This article has 11 stories that will inspire you and show you how to use your talents to help others. Service is difficult at times because we don’t always know where to start or what we can do to help someone in need. Most of the time just showing up is all they really need. People need to feel loved and remembered when they are going through difficult circumstances.
If we look at our own talents or even what we enjoy doing it might just answer the questions we are having about how to help other people. Since using our talents is something we enjoy, we should find ways of using them when we serve. As we do this, serving others becomes something we enjoy.
For example, I don’t love cooking for others. I don’t enjoy trying to figure out what to prepare, I worry that they won’t enjoy what I have made, or if I’ll have enough food for their family. I do enjoy going to the park or playing games, so watching someone’s children is much more enjoyable.
There are so many great examples of people using their talents to bless others lives. Here are more specific accounts of how people serve using their talents. Hopefully some of these examples will encourage and inspire you to get up and serve.
This post is all about how to use your talents to help others.
1. Hosted a Get Together to Help with Depression
One of my favorite examples of service comes from an older lady in my neighborhood. This lady suffers from depression. Some days it’s hard for her to even get out of bed. She has started hosting a get together with other women in the neighborhood to come to her home twice a month to work on projects such as scrapbooking, knitting, or whatever craft they want. Her talent comes in the form of hosting. She always has food prepared for them. She also loves to shop so on special occasions she has very thoughtful gifts for these ladies. These ladies know to just walk into her house during those hours. Sometimes it takes her 30-45 minutes to get ready and come out and join them, but they all really enjoy the time together. This activity helps everyone who is involved.
2. Took a Friend’s Daughter Shopping to Prepare for a Mission
Another example of service I witnessed was a friend who had a daughter trying to get ready to go on an 18 month mission for her church. Her daughter and her were working opposite shifts at work so it was becoming a huge stress to figure out how to find time to go shopping. My friend also hated shopping with a passion. She was beginning to wonder how she was going to get her all the clothes and equipment her daughter needed. One of her friends who loves shopping stepped up and asked if she could take her daughter shopping. My friend was extremely grateful for this act of service which seemed so daunting to her.
3. Painted a Window Scene for Our Grieving Family
When I was a child, we lost my little 18-month-old brother to meningitis a week before Christmas. It was a hard time for our family, but I can still remember many of the acts of service that were performed on the behalf of my family. One that especially stands out to me was done by an artist that was well known in our area. She lived in our neighborhood and she was a very good painter. She took time out of her busy schedule to come and paint our window with a beautiful Christmas scene. It was such an amazing gift of love and kindness; we kept it up until early summer. We didn’t want to wash it off, because of the love, peace and hope it brought our family.
4. Makes Lunches for Someone Having a Bad Day
One of my friends is a good cook and loves to visit people. If she hears of someone having a bad day, she will make them a good lunch and stop by their house and eat lunch with them. She loves to cook so this is an enjoyable activity for her. I have heard of several people who have benefited from one of her amazing lunches. They truly appreciate her taking the time to cook them a meal and sit and talk with them. They feel loved and appreciated.
5. Brought a Fast Food Lunch to a Friend After a Procedure
Maybe cooking isn’t your thing, but anyone can stop by and pick up some food. I had a friend once that stopped by my house when I couldn’t walk very well after a medical procedure. She brought me a simple lunch from Wendy’s. I always appreciate a Wendy’s frosty, but it was really about the time we spent together. She took my mind off the pain for those few minutes together. I felt so loved by her. I was especially grateful for the distraction she brought even if it was just for an hour. Another day she brought my daughter and I each a Jamba juice.
6. Saved up Her Money to Buy Her Mother a Gift
Even though I don’t consider shopping one of my talents, I got to be involved in a Christmas shopping trip with a young girl who’s only family member was her mom. This girl had never been able to go alone and surprise her mom with a gift, so she was so excited to be able to present her mom with a gift that would amaze her. The young girl thought long and hard about what to give her. She saved up her nickels and dimes to be able to get her the perfect gift. I can’t even remember what she bought for her mom, but I was touched by the preparation, effort and thought that she put into this experience. I learned more from this young girl about serving and love than from the efforts I had made to make our shopping trip happen.
7. Took a Girl Shopping with Her and Her Daughter
One day a mother of one of my daughter’s friends’ started telling me how much her daughter hated shopping. She didn’t want to get anything for the new school year, so I volunteered to take her with us when we took my daughter to get something. This mom was so excited and agreed to let her go with us, and my daughter was thrilled to have a friend with her. I don’t really love shopping either, so I focused on their enjoyment, while working on patience. Both girls found a couple of fun outfits and we went to lunch. We had a great time and because both girls were full of smiles, I didn’t even think of this as service.
8. Spends Hours Gardening and then Shares with Others
My husband has a great talent for gardening, but there are only two of us now and we can’t possibly eat or bottle everything he grows. We have learned which of our neighbors love the fruits of our labors. We invite all who are interested in partaking of his labors. I think his favorite part of gardening is sharing the harvest with those who need it and will use it.
9. Cleans and Organizes for Others
Once a lady told me she can’t sew, cook, or play the piano, but she loves to clean and organize. She is known to clean someone’s floors or bathrooms right after they had a baby. Whenever someone is moving into our neighborhood, she is the first person to offer to help unpack and organize. When someone is moving out this lady is always there helping to clean. She can’t do a lot of heavy lifting, but she will ask others to come and help with the bigger items.
10. Play Musical Instruments for Those Who My be Struggling
I know a set of siblings who are very talented with their musical instruments. One plays the violin, one the cello, one the flute and all of them play the piano. Their parents are very good at seeing who is lonely and needs a little cheering up. They visit widows, people with disabilities, and those struggling from terminal ailments. These children will perform several musical numbers for these worried people. I love how this family has built relations with those around them and have taught their children to serve. These children have performed at several funerals at the request of the deceased.
11. Paints Beautiful Pictures on Cards and Sends Them to Others
Another renowned artist in our area specializes in water-color paintings. She will paint water-colored cards and send them to those who are sick or just lost a loved one. Sometimes she even sends her beautiful cards to someone to tell them how much they mean to her. Her ability to make something beautiful and share it with others is such a great act of service. Check out these blank cards below to start painting your own cards.
This article will help motivate you to use your talents to serve those around you. All of these examples are people who found something they enjoyed and used their time and talents to help others. Find your talents, find what you enjoy, and service will become easier to do. You don’t have to do everything. God doesn’t expect us to do it all. He has a lot of helpers all over the world. He has given us specific gifts to be used in aiding, relieving and comforting others in their times of need. Let’s serve.
This post was all about how to use your talents to help others.