On April 11, 2009, Susan Boyle walked onto a stage in England.

She answered questions from the panel of judges. She expressed herself in a funny, quirky way. Even doing a little twist with one answer. She was unknown to the crowd and to the questioning panel. She appeared a bit unkempt and probably out of her element. As she answered questions, the crowd rolled their eyes and shook their heads not really believing she belonged there. The judges were vocally polite, but their eyes and their facial expressions indicated their belief also that Ms. Boyle did not belong in front of them, aiming at a prize.

Then she sang.

Within five seconds the judges expressions changed.

Very quickly the crowd, whose faces looked at Ms. Boyle with skepticism, now had their mouths hanging open in amazement. Within 30 seconds they were applauding.

She sang.

As she sang she was not the quirky, unkempt middle-aged woman. She sounded like a trained artist. As she continued to sing two of the judges rose in admiration, the crowd stood and cheered her on. She won them over with her voice.

She won them over because she opened her mouth and sang in the face of the skepticism she had to see in front of her. Take a moment and go look at the YOU TUBE video of the performance, You can see the faces of the judges and the crowd. Then, as she sang you can see the transformation of the crowd, the judges,  and how they now perceived with amazement this middle-aged woman expressing her beautiful gift.

We are all a bit like Susan Boyle.

We may look different. We might be younger or older than she was that day. We might express ourselves in a more sophisticated manner.

But, we have all seen skepticism on the faces of those around us at times. We have seen others look at us with rolled eyes and shaking heads. We have seen doubt and have probably felt somewhat inferior.

When Ms. Boyle stepped out of herself, and expressed the GIFT within her …..all of the opinions changed. Those in front of her, those judging her, those watching her now saw the GIFT rather than just her.  They now saw and heard the GIFT, rather than the seemingly simple woman who stood on the stage.

Like Susan Boyle, you have a GIFT.

It might not be vocal. It might be another form of Art. It might be one of encouragement or teaching.

Allow the GIFT within you to be seen, heard and experienced by those all around you. It will change the way people view you.

The GIFT within you has been placed and prospered by the One who made you.

Open yourself up, express the GIFT uniquely placed within you, and you alone.

To me, one of the secrets of life is to uncover, decipher and discover the GIFT God has placed within you.

You can develop it and grow it, But, you cannot create it.

Its there, within you.

It may be the thing you like to do the most.

It most likely is something that benefits or blesses more people than just you.

We are all a bit like Susan Boyle.

We all need to be more like the Susan Boyle who sang in front of those who doubted her.

You can and will change doubt into applause.

It might only be the “applause of Heaven”, but you will be fulfilling the Intention behind the GIFT.

When we express the GIFT given us by God, we glorify Him. That is the intention of all of creation…to express the glory placed within us….by fully using the GIFT granted to us.

Susan Boyle sang.

There is a GIFT within you, waiting to be revealed.