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On Sunday in confirmation class, I asked the kids a simple question: What are you good at?

Their answers included football, volleyball, and dance. Those were good places to begin, but I then asked them to think about the spiritual gifts that might show up in those activities. Could playing a sport involve leadership? Could being part of a team offer opportunities to practice mercy or servanthood? Could preparing for a performance involve administration? Where might prayer fit into all of it?

We do not always think to look for spiritual gifts on a football field or in a dance studio. But the everyday places where we spend our time can help us recognize how God is working through us.

Spiritual gifts are gifts of the Holy Spirit that equip us to serve others and build up the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes a variety of gifts, all coming from the same Spirit and given for the common good. Romans 12 includes gifts such as service, teaching, encouragement, leadership, and mercy. These gifts take many forms, and each has a place in the life we share.

A talent and a spiritual gift are not exactly the same thing, though they can work together. Being good at volleyball is a skill. Helping a teammate find the courage to try again may reveal a gift for encouragement. A dancer who patiently helps someone learn a difficult step may be discovering a gift for teaching or service. A football player who notices a discouraged teammate and responds with compassion may be practicing mercy.

These are possibilities to explore. One helpful act does not tell us everything about our gifts, and we can all grow in these practices. Over time, though, we may begin to recognize a pattern. I told the kids that it is okay if they do not know what their spiritual gifts are right now. They can simply begin to notice. I think adults need that permission, too.

We can put pressure on ourselves to find a clear answer, as though we should already know exactly what God has equipped us to do. Sometimes recognizing our gifts takes time, experience, and the help of people who see something in us that we have overlooked.

This week, pay attention to your ordinary life. What needs do you tend to notice? When do you find yourself helping someone without being asked? What do people come to you for? When has something you offered helped another person feel supported, included, or hopeful?

You do not need to have it all figured out before you begin. Start with the people and opportunities already in front of you. Pay attention. Your everyday life may be giving you glimpses of gifts you have yet to name.