Could Your Hardest Season Be Hiding an Undiscovered Gift?
Updated: Sep 1
This winter, while walking along the shore of a Croatian island with my brother, we searched for seashells. I stopped beside a large rock when something shiny and yellow caught my attention. A beautiful mineral appeared to be embedded in its surface.
Using another stone, I tried to break off a few pieces to keep. Without the proper tools, I managed to collect only several small fragments.
The experience made me wonder: Could the hard places in our hearts also contain valuable, uncut gemstones? Perhaps we need patience, courage, and the right tools to uncover them.
If you have recently found yourself saying that you need help with “heart issues,” today’s reflection is for you.
Hidden Treasure Beneath the Surface
Gemstones and precious metals are often found beneath layers of earth and rock. They must be carefully excavated before their beauty can be revealed.
Even then, a newly discovered gemstone may not look particularly impressive. In its raw form, it can appear rough, dull, or ordinary. It requires the knowledge and skill of a gem cutter or goldsmith to shape, refine, and polish it before it can shine.
Finding a Voice After Silence
In my late thirties, one of my greatest inspirations was Maya Angelou—an American writer, poet, performer, and civil rights activist whose life demonstrated the transforming power of language and creativity.
Angelou experienced severe trauma during childhood. After being sexually assaulted at the age of eight, she became almost completely silent for several years. She later explained that she feared her voice had caused the death of the man who had abused her.
During those years of silence, books, poetry, and careful observation became central to her inner world. With the encouragement of a teacher, she gradually rediscovered her voice and developed a profound appreciation for the power of spoken and written language.
Before becoming internationally known as a writer, Angelou worked as a performer and toured Europe with a production of Porgy and Bess. She also became involved in the American civil rights movement. Her groundbreaking 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, brought her widespread recognition, and she eventually published seven autobiographical volumes. In 1993, she wrote and recited On the Pulse of Morning at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration. Her words continue to influence readers around the world. (Maya Angelou’s official biography; Poetry Foundation)
Angelou once spoke about our responsibility to stand up for ourselves: "I not only have the right to stand up for myself, but I have the responsibility," She also said. "I can't ask somebody else to stand up for me if I won't stand up for myself. Once you do that, you'd be surprised how many people say, 'Can I be of help?'"
Her life shows how a gift formed and refined through hardship can eventually become a source of courage and hope for others.
Finding Strength in Vulnerability
Inspired by Angelou’s journey, I began exploring the complicated places within my own heart during my late thirties. I did this through reading, writing, prayer, and honest reflection.
Through that process, I overcame depression, although I have continued to face burnout and several other challenges. Yet during my journey toward healing, I also discovered gifts that had been hidden beneath the surface.
During one year of working through my heart issues, I discovered a gift for painting. In another season, I began writing poetry. Later, I discovered an ability to draw. Last year, I recognized another gift that I am still learning to develop. I know—it may all sound a little unconventional.
But gifts often appear in unrefined forms.
If you have ever seen an uncut diamond, you know that it may not initially look beautiful or valuable. Its potential is hidden beneath a rough exterior. A skilled cutter must carefully shape and polish it before its brilliance becomes visible.
The same may be true of a gift that initially appears childish, insignificant, or undeveloped. It may take years of practice, education, encouragement, and the right mentorship before its value becomes apparent.
Cooperating With the Giver
Our heavenly Father is the One who gives us our gifts, and He can also help us develop them when we choose to use them and cooperate with Him. A gift does not need to be impressive to others to be meaningful. Its value may first become visible in the way it helps us process pain, understand our experiences, or make room for healing.
With practice, that same gift can become a tool for encouraging someone else. A painting, poem, photograph, lesson, conversation, or simple act of kindness may help another person find courage, experience comfort, or navigate a difficult day.
When our gifts refresh others—even if we reach only one person—they can bring a deep sense of meaning and purpose to our own lives.
People who faithfully use their gifts to teach, mentor, and encourage others often discover that generosity also refines their own abilities. What they have received becomes something they can entrust to another person.
In some cases, as with Maya Angelou, a gift continues to inspire people for generations after its giver is gone.
What Might Be Hidden in Your Hard Season?
What gift have you overlooked during your most difficult days?
Perhaps something that currently feels small, awkward, or unfinished is an uncut gemstone. It may not shine yet, but that does not mean it has no value.
If you have already been faithfully developing one gift, perhaps God is inviting you to look again. There may be another treasure waiting beneath the surface.
Consider reflecting on these questions:
What difficult experience has shaped my heart?
What gift began to emerge during that season?
What ability have I dismissed because it seemed childish or undeveloped?
What tools, education, or mentorship could help me refine it?
How might God use this gift to refresh someone else? Your hardest season may not be the end of your story. It may become the place where an undiscovered gift begins to emerge.
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