Coffee & Common Grounds

There are moments in life when God slows you down just enough to look back — not to dwell, but to understand. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my gifts… the ones I’ve carried since childhood, the ones I didn’t always recognize, and the ones the Holy Spirit has been refining in me even now.

When I look back, I see pieces of myself that made sense only in hindsight. My love for acting, my ability to draw people in, the creativity that showed up in storytelling, and even the way I connected with people — those weren’t random talents. They were early hints of how God wired me.

Scripture reminds me: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

God knew exactly what He placed in me long before I ever understood it.

Holy hindsight lets you see the fingerprints of God on things you once thought were just “you.” It shows you that nothing was wasted — not the passions, not the detours, not the dreams that didn’t unfold the way you imagined.

I used to wonder where I could’ve been if life had gone differently. But now I’m learning to ask a better question: Where is God leading me now, using everything He planted then?

There’s a gift I didn’t have a name for until later in life — discernment. A Holy Spirit gift. A deep knowing. A spiritual sensitivity that doesn’t always come with explanations.

Scripture says: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10)

That’s what discernment feels like — a spiritual depth that goes beyond surface understanding.

Discernment is the ability to sense things before they’re spoken. To feel shifts in the atmosphere. To recognize truth beneath the surface. To “just know” when something is off or when God is stirring something new.

It’s a blessing because it protects, guides, and reveals. But it can feel like a burden when you don’t know how to share what you sense or when others don’t understand how you know what you know.

But Scripture reassures me: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

This gift isn’t meant to isolate me — it’s meant to position me for kingdom influence.

I’ve got a lot to share — stories, lessons, insights, spiritual experiences, and truths God has shown me over the years. But I’m still learning how to share them. I’m asking God to show me where I’m supposed to lead at this stage of my life. Because calling doesn’t expire. It evolves.

I want to be who I’m meant to be in God’s image, not the world’s version of success.

Scripture says: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” (Ephesians 2:10)

I want to be the most influential witness I can be — not by being perfect, but by being obedient.

And here’s my testimony:
God has never stopped shaping me.
Never stopped using me.
Never stopped calling me forward.
Even when I didn’t understand my gifts, He did.
Even when I questioned my path, He was guiding it.
Even when I felt behind, He was preparing me.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” (Psalm 37:23)

So I stand here — open-hearted, open-handed — ready for whatever He asks next. Because every gift, every instinct, every story, every season has a purpose in His plan.

I’m still becoming.
Still learning.
Still being refined.
Still being sent.

And wherever He leads, I want to walk boldly — knowing the gifts I carry now are exactly the ones He intends to use.

So Lord, here I am — willing, listening, and ready. Take the gifts You placed in me long ago and breathe fresh purpose into them.
Show me where to step, when to speak, and how to serve.
Shape my discernment into compassion.
Shape my creativity into influence.
Shape my story into testimony.

And as You continue Your quiet work in me, let my life reflect Your image more clearly with every step. I don’t want to be who the world expects — I want to be who You designed.

Still becoming.
Still listening.
Still Yours.

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