God's Gifts

God's gifts are many and range in form.  I agree with Ignatius when he says that God gifts us all, and it is up to each and every one of us to determine these gifts.  I think that one of my gifts given by God may be the gift of healing.  This gift manifests itself in a multitude of ways.  I tend to be approachable and willing to listen.  I am often asked by others --sometimes-complete strangers-- for advice.  I tend to be able to support others emotionally, mentally, and physically.  This means I take responsibility for others and often put them in priority over myself.  In a way this is a form of healing.  Being able to aid others when they themselves do not know how to aid themselves is a blessing and a curse that I am thankful for.  I think that Gifts given by my environment and upbringing aid in the use of the gifts given by God.  I am kind and willing to take on the responsibility of others emotions because of how I was raised.  My father always taught me that I was a leader by birth and that because of that I had to take the responsibility to help others who were less fortunate than me.

            Another way that I am gifted with the power of healing is that it is part of my culture.  I am Native American, and my elders have always told me that my father was to be the next traiteur, and that after he, I.  In the United Houma Nation the traiteurs are the medicine men of the tribe.  These people are said to have supernatural abilities and intuitions.  My father and I both get odd sensations when we know that someone will die.  We are never aware of whom, just that someone near to us has.  It’s an odd occurrence, but it seems to validate what we’ve heard all of our lives about being from the lineage of traiteurs.  The traiteurs are healers and I’ve had experiences in healing people with my hands or small minor pains.  This is part of my culture, but seems to be a God given gift.  The way I use all of these powers is learned from my family.  The caring, the insight, and the responsibility that I use in combination with my gifts are learned gifts from my family.  The gifts of God and the gifts of this world work in combination to help us reach our full potentials.