How "Gifted" Does One Need to Be?

Fiction Story: Three friends get trapped in the rubble of an earthquake and suffer injuries that they fear will change their lives forever. When they wake up the next day, completely healed, they have no idea just how much their lives have changed; they each have their own super-natural ability. One of them can see into the hearts of others. One has feet that won’t stop taking him to people in need. One can’t stop talking about the lord.

Finding themselves with supernatural abilities, the trio decides to utilize their new powers for the cause of evangelism. They have a highly successful go of it. For forty-eight hours they find, help, and share the gospel with people in need.

The story was laid out in a rather simple pattern. All three get pulled from the rubble then we go one-by-one with each of them to the hospital. Then we see each one, in order, wake up healed, experiencing their super-natural gift. The telling of the story slightly favors the female character, Bree, and she emerges as the main subject, although her story never gets very deep. I hate to say it, but I did not completely enjoy the writing. I thought it was a little too telling vs. showing at times. There were quite a few obvious lines that would make the reader feel like he or she is a step ahead of the characters. It was so pronounced that I grew suspicious, did further research and discovered that the book is geared for the youth market. O-well. I still liked the story and wanted to finish it.

My favorite part was when they tried to tell their pastor what kind of gifts they had been given and what they were doing with them and he could not understand that they actually meant super-natural abilities. It provided for some humor, but also brought up a serious underlining question that is in accordance with the point of the story; what degree of ability counts as a gift that ought to be used?

Gospel Story: The thesis of the book comes from Romans 12, but specifically verses three through eight. The three newly-made evangelists learn that they must work together as a team “a single body” to fully utilize their gifts. Beyond that, there are additional needs that their gifts cannot cover.

When their super-natural abilities vanish, they also learn that it does not take an out of the ordinary ability to participate in the Body of Christ. The three decide to continue their work as ordinary members of the body. It raises an obvious question. What super-human ability are we waiting for before we get about the work allotted to us as a member of the body of Christ?

More: I have read one other book by Terri Blackstock called The Heart Reader. It was really up the same alley; a man receives the ability to read the hearts of others allowing him to minister the gospel in specific ways. When his gift leaves him he decides to continue on. It seems that Blackstock has a passion to see the members of the church at work. But The Gifted, and The Heart Reader are unique from her typical writing. Blackstock does mystery and suspense. She also has an interesting story as an author, but I'll let you read it yourself.

Until next time, remember Christ, the author of our faith and the reader of our hearts.