But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. (Matthew 25:18 NRSV Bible)
What we do with the gifts we have is what God is concerned about. The servant with one talent had the same opportunity as the one with five talents, but this worker chose to bury his talent in the ground. That is the worst thing we can do with any gift God has given us.

I remember reading a story of a woman named Nancy who was confined to a wheelchair who developed a unique ministry to people who are lonely and hurting. Nancy ran ads in the personals section of the newspaper that read: "If you are lonely or have a problem call me. I am in a wheelchair and seldom get out. We can share our problems with each other. Just call. I'd love to talk."

From that simple ad the results were truly amazing. Nancy claims that she receives at least thirty calls each week from people who need someone to talk to and listen to their pain. Nancy spends most of her day comforting and counseling people. She has become someone for hundreds of people with problems to lean on.

Nancy was asked how she became disabled. Nancy's answer was a surprise. "By trying to commit suicide," she said. Nancy went on to explain, "I was living alone. I had no friends. I hated my job, and I was constantly depressed. "Nancy decided to jump from the window of her apartment--to end it all. But instead of being killed, she ended up in the hospital paralyzed from the waist down. While she was in the hospital, Nancy said, "Jesus appeared to me and told me that I'd had a healthy body and a crippled soul but from then on I would have a crippled body and a healthy soul. I gave my life to Christ right there and then," she said. "When I got out of the hospital, I tried to think of how a woman like me could do some good, and I came up with the idea of putting the ad in the newspaper."

God of the crippled and uncrippled, help me work towards a healthy soul, as I use my gifts to serve you. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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