(Post by Paige Steele, Hope Haven Rwanda’s Investor Relations Manager)
I’ve always thought that one of life’s sweetest joys is to be used by God to bless someone else. For the longest time, I mistakenly thought financial or tangible gifts were the only way to go. Although the Lord knows they have their place, it’s clear that some of the most powerful gifts we can offer are the simple sharing of our unique talents through human connection, encouragement and mentorship. After all, isn’t it true that these kinds of gifts require the most vulnerability, authenticity, time and effort?
Over the years, God has blessed Hope Haven with an abundance of talented adults selflessly willing to share their passions, career knowledge, and personal stories with our students. In my opinion, this is one of the most impactful ways to serve on campus.
In most cases, students sit in on a formal presentation, such as with Rob – our inventor friend extraordinaire from Jason’s video – who, last October, shared about his passion and knack for creating tangible solutions to life’s pesky problems. Picture a sea of 300-plus student faces lighting up simultaneously as the speaker dives in, first with wonder and awe, followed by a steely determination that they too, have what it takes to become an inventor, an engineer, or whatever God is calling them to do with their unique talents. I won’t get into how we always have to cut the questions off after several hours. 🙂
Other times, adults meet with students in a more intimate setting with a specific gender or age group to talk about more sensitive issues in hopes of developing confidence and creating a safe space to ask and answer questions. It’s been amazing how God has used this format to bring certain struggles to the light which were once quietly endured alone in the darkness. Then He provides the right type of help and – perhaps most importantly – companionship and understanding.
The thing is, these gifts of self are the ones that keep on giving. They’re the ones our students carry in their hearts, are continually motivated by, and talk to Jesus about. Once a seed of a certain kind has been planted by one and watered by another, there’s no telling what the harvest holds.
God has given every one of us an array of talents to steward as we read about in Matthew 25:14-30. What will you do with yours?