I’m not a good cook. I’m not being humble; I’m being honest. My mom and my sister Ann are exceptional, as was my sister Kay. To this day, I use Ann’s recipe for sweet potato crunch, but my results never come close to matching hers. Same goes for her many-layered dip. Even Kay’s sandwiches were good. I have been tasked with recreating them for an upcoming birthday party for my granddaughter, Emma Kate, and Kay’s grandson, Tristan. We all know they’ll be adequate at best.

I can’t even get started with my mom’s culinary skills. She takes her time, stops the cooking process and goes to the store if she doesn’t have one of the ingredients, and won’t use a food processor because the results are not as consistent as her own. Nothing in the previous sentence applies to me.

These examples support a thought that popped into my head yesterday – positions are refillable, but people are not replaceable. If no two people are alike, how can one person possibly replace another?

God, Who created us as unique individuals with fingerprints unmatched to anyone else’s, has also given us gifts and talents to be used to fill a spot in our communities, workplaces, and families. Each of us is valuable and everyone is needed.

This year, let’s cast aside anything that distracts us from identifying, developing, and using our gifts to the benefit of our world. Although I can’t remember its sources, the following is a prayer I pray often for my family and friends.

God, Please take the gifts You’ve given us and maximize them for the building of Your kingdom.

Ronny Michel can be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.