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Do You Have Hidden Talent? By Jean Jantzen
"The service we render to others is really
the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that
man is himself a traveler; that the purpose of this world is not
'to have and to hold' but 'to give and serve." Sir
Wilfred T. Grinfell Are you one of millions who tuned into American Idol week after week to watch your favorite singers over the last few years? Remember Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood. Most have gone on to become successful singers. Carrie Underwood won three grammies. We also see Clay Aiken from time to time and the stunning Katharine McPhee in various television shows and Taylor Hicks in commercials. I have been watching Grease: You’re the one we want. Out of thousands, twelve were chosen to compete for the lead roles of Sandy and Danny in the 2007 Broadway revival of Grease. All the above seem to have more talent in their little finger than I have in my whole body. How about the Miss America Pageant? What emotions did you experience when you heard the theme song There She Is - Miss America—as the country’s most attractive, intelligent, talented young women waltzed across the stage vying for the Miss America title? Do you ever wonder how come they have it all—looks, talent, smarts? Have you ever thought to yourself or mentioned to others, "When God handed out talent, how come He forgot about me?" Have you come to the conclusion you have no talent? According to the dictionary talent is a special, often creative or artistic aptitude. — Well, you might say, see I have no talent—but what about gifts. God says he gives to his people gifts. We must have some of those. A gift in Middle English, from Old Norse, something
given, talent; akin to Old English giefan is to
give—or a notable capacity, talent, or endowment. We have been conditioned to believe that entertainers—movie stars, dancers and musicians have the greatest gifts. They make huge amounts of money, live in fabulous mansions, and wear expensive clothes because of their so-called gifts. So what about ordinary folk like you and me? What if you can’t dance or carry a tune, or speak in front of a microphone, but you have a special way with little children, or you write beautiful letters of encouragement to others, or you have a knack for putting people at ease? Or you bring a home-cooked meal to a shut-in—does that count as a talent, or a gift? What kind of talent or gift is the most important? We’re familiar with where Paul tells us there are different kinds of spiritual gifts …the Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others..." (1 Corinthians 12: 4-7). Don’t you think our gift to God should be to make use of His gifts to us?" Have you ever looked at yourself or your Mama as being a talented woman? What about having babies and raising a family? Dr. Phil says having three kids is equivalent to working two jobs without pay and now many mothers have a job, too. That’s talent! Don’t you remember coming home after school, cold and hungry to the aroma of simmering soup, fresh golden cinnamon buns and whole wheat bread, the steam still rising? –And then sat at the kitchen table, taking big bites of a warm buttered cinnamon roll, appreciating that capable smiling lady who could make such heavenly food. Or the days your mama volunteered as a teacher’s aide at school. You were so proud. Or how about the time she designed and made a special costume for you in the school play? I imagine you thought she was the most talented mama in the universe. Do you remember how she patiently taught you to read, plant a small garden, rehearsed the names of many beautiful flowers, helped you bake cookies and chili, and to love the great outdoors? Do you remember watching your grandmama graduate from university at age 55? I bet you thought she was smart! What of Dad! Do you remember that deep bass voice as he sang you to sleep at night, or the time you watched him dance across the living room floor with your mama; they were not Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but mighty close. Couldn’t he always help you with that unsolvable math question, fix your bike, teach you how to pitch the perfect curved ball, or clean a fish when you needed it? Multi-talented wasn’t he? Don’t you remember with fondness the map of the world drawn on your basketball by your dad when he was trying to teach you geography, the time he flipped burgers at the spring carnival, or helped build the school playground? You were so proud! Everyone knows of Ann Landers; she was an ordinary housewife like you or me who had never held down a paying job, never written a line for publication. She was given a chance to help people and she developed her gift, one she didn’t know she had; eventually her column appeared in 988 cities around the world. Even Clay Aiken and Kimberly Lock are ordinary people. Their talent is different from ours, that’s all. I think God wants us to use the abilities He divinely gave each and every one of us, that we have the responsibility to seek out and discover our God-given talents. There are famous people who have talent in one area but not in others. I know of a woman pianist who didn’t know how to shop, cook or clean the bathroom. We should learn to recognize our talents, notice things we excel at and enjoy doing. If we don’t think we’re good at anything, we should ask close friends or family members which areas they see as our strengths. I’m sure you know many people who’ve have talents, wonderful gifts that they never developed and never used. By failing to look at a gift's true value, we not only cheat ourselves, but we cheat God as well. Read the parable of the talents. And remember a gift is to be given to others. We may not be a Clay Aiken, a John Wayne, or a Miss Universe, but we will become a priest or a king—not too bad a reward for discovering, developing and using our talents and gifts. So be thankful for the gifts you do have and use them to make joy in someone else’s life.
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