On a recent trip to the most magical place on earth, my husband captured a video of me watching Mickey and friends parading through the park. The video itself was pretty cool—starting from the back of my Mickey ears perched on my head and zooming into the parade. But as magical as the parade was, my focus wasn’t on Mickey or his friends when I rewatched the clip. Instead, I found myself doing a double take and rewinding—not for the characters, but for a glimpse of my hair. Yes, my hair.
And not in the usual, self-conscious way of checking if it was messy or out of place. Quite the opposite. I found myself admiring and exclaiming, “Is that what my hair looks like? It’s so gorgeous!”
My husband, understandably confused, humored me as I replayed the video. “Is this what everyone gets to see when they look at my hair?” I asked.
This is not a flex, I promise. It’s just that, as the owner of my hair, I’ve always known it’s pretty, thanks to years of compliments. But typically, I only see my hair from my perspective, from the front, in mirrors or photos. I’ve never viewed it the way others see it until that video.
Suddenly, I saw what others have been admiring all these years. My own limited perspective kept me from fully appreciating this part of myself. As I rewatched the video, both admiring the capture and my hair, I felt the Lord speaking to my spirit: “You don’t see your gifts the ways others do.”
This isn’t about the hair, hear me out. It’s about the God-given gifts we all carry—the ones others see and appreciate even when we don’t. Often, we live with our gifts so closely that they become normal or even mundane to us. Sometimes, we can’t truly see the gifts we carry until we view them from someone else’s perspective. But what if we could see them as others do? What if we could step outside ourselves and recognize the beauty, talent, and blessing we bring to others?
Wouldn’t that change the way we think about ourselves? Wouldn’t it make us walk a little taller and more confident in the unique gifts God has entrusted to us?
Take a moment to reflect: What are the things others compliment you on? What do people thank you for, even if you take it for granted? Now, ask God to give you a glimpse of your gift from their perspective. Let Him reveal the beauty and impact of what you carry.
Maybe, like me, you’ll find yourself in awe, saying, “Is this what others are blessed to see?”
And when you see it, let that revelation encourage you to walk more boldly, knowing that your gifts aren’t just for you. They are God’s way of blessing the world through you.
You are carrying something beautiful. Don’t be afraid to let it shine.
Comments