Is your life as common as cinnamon? Or is cinnamon really common at all? You, me and cinnamon are a lot alike. Stay with me here. I’m about to make a point.

Today, cinnamon is a staple in any spice cabinet. It’s actually my favorite spice. I put it in everything from my morning protein shake to spaghetti sauce to gluten free spice cake.

Before the 18th Century, though, it was the spice of the wealthy, the spice of kings. It was far from common. It was one time worth 15 times that of silver and was more valuable than gold. It was far from common.

Scarce
At that time, cinnamon was only found in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). It was difficult to harvest and grow.

Sea travel was treacherous. Shipping took months to carry cargo to countries wanting the special properties of cinnamon. That drove up the price and the demand.

Purpose
Before the 18th century, cinnamon was used in embalming, preserving meats and medicinally for sore throats and coughing.

Its purpose was so highly prized that the Portuguese, Dutch, French and English all fought to control the country where it grew.

Besides its flavor, taste and smell, additional super powers of cinnamon are being discovered today. It is said to lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, stop yeast infections, reduce cancer cells, has an anti-clotting effect on the blood, relieves arthritis pain, boosts memory, fights e. coli in unpasteurized juice, and is high in nutrients.

We are cinnamon
We are like cinnamon in that we look common, but we are not.  We may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound like cinnamon, but we are unique.

Like cinnamon, we are scarce. There is only one of us. We are valuable. We are so valuable that we have been bought with a price, highly prized, one of a kind.

Above all of this, though, we each have a purpose that is unusual and unique. We fill a spot no one else in the world can.

I don’t know what your purpose, your sweet spot is. After almost 60 years on this earth, I’m just learning mine. I hope you find yours long before this point in time.

You do have one you know. For more information about purpose, take advantage of the free gift offered below for becoming a member of this website.

Now, go out there and spice up the world. Go be cinnamon.

Teresa Shields Parker

Teresa Shields Parker is a Christian weight loss author, coach, podcaster, and speaker, who has lost 250 pounds and kept it off since 2013. Her books include: “Reconnecting Jayne: Her Sister’s Support,” “Rebuilding Jayne: Her Father’s Protection,”  “Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor,” “Sweet Grace Study Guide,”  “Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle,” “Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds,” “Sweet Journey to Transformation: Practical Steps to Lose Weight and Live Healthy”, “Sweet Freedom: Losing Weight and Keeping It Off With God’s Help,” “Sweet Freedom Study Guide,” “Sweet Change: True Stories of Transformation,” “Sweet Hunger: Developing an Appetite for God,” and “Sweet Excuses: Stop Lying to Yourself & Start Losing Weight.” She also offers Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy and VIP intensive coaching. Don’t miss her weekly podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey, where she shares tips from her personal journey of losing weight and discovering healthy living. Contact her at [email protected].