The Talent Show

Last year, my family attended ‘Family Camp’. This was the opportunity for us to bond in the great outdoors with heat and mosquitoes and ...oh yeah...other Christian families. We spent a glorious long weekend in the country in central Illinois, communing with nature. As a Mom, I especially liked it since all of our meals were prepared and all I had to do was eat and read. Normally family vacations are just me doing the same job in a different venue. This was different. I actually got to relax!

One of the highlights of Family Camp was the talent show. When this idea was first presented to me, it sent me into a panic. I don’t claim to have any real talent. I don’t play a musical instrument, my body doesn’t contort into pretzel shapes anymore, I can’t make my nose produce funny noises (be quiet kids) , and as far as I know, have never been able to burp the alphabet or anything equally amusing. Okay- maybe I can, but I’m trying to learn to be more socially acceptable!) As it is, the kids and I sang a cute little song that required no musical ability.

As we sat there waiting for our turn, we saw quite a variety of acts. One family played percussion. All of the kids could bang on a bongo and make you want to dance. I bet their house is fun when everyone is practicing. They also had a couple of guitar players in their clan. One group did a drama. Still another played out a joke. The counselors had the unique talent of grossing everyone out with a Fear Factor style ‘joke’ where one counselor actually drank a glass of spit and toothpaste and raw eggs (is that a talent or an imbalance?) One 7 year old boy did acrobats. He turned a cartwheel until he almost hit the piano. He also possessed some math skills that astounded his audience. He apparently was overabundant in the talent department because he was willing to display far more of his abilities than his parents were willing to allow. They made him stop (maybe next year honey!)

It was a wonderful time. No one person or group did the same thing. Maybe their ACT was the same, but they displayed their talents differently. If they had been the same, the show wouldn’t have been near as exciting or fun. If everyone had recited poetry, I would have become bored quickly. As it were, we had a fun filled evening packed with such diversity.

I thought to how the church body functions. Everyone has different strengths. We all have something to bring to our church experience. If we all could only cook, our potlucks would be great, but fund-raisers would fizzle. If everyone was a great teacher, our Sunday School would draw crowds, but who would fold the bulletins? If every member of the congregation could preach fire and brimstone, we might pack the pews on Sunday mornings, but how would the budget get done? If singing was the talent, we could rock the house and have them dancing in the aisles, but who would counsel the grieving or bring meals to the shut ins?
We all have our place. We all have something to bring. Whether your talents are big and dynamic or small and unassuming, they all have a place in God’s kingdom. Every small act of kindness, done in God’s name, is a gift from Him to pass along to others. Don’t lament the fact that you can’t warble like a lark.....praise God that you have the time to e-mail a word of encouragement during the day. If you can’t contribute financially as much as you’d like because you lost your job- praise God that he freed up your time so you could help a church member who needs their roof repaired. Find the blessing in your giving, no matter how big, how small or how humble.