Using Our Gifts

Spring is here.
Flowers are beginning to bloom and the grass is getting greener each day.
There is something so wonderful about the warm weather that teases us, but has not yet stayed.
There is something so wonderful about new life after winter’s hibernation.

Spring is especially busy for parents.
Sport leagues are beginning.
Concerts are on the calendar.
Filed trips are scheduled.

My daughter sent a video of our oldest granddaughter playing the piano at a nursing home.
This is her second visit there.
To see her using her gifts for the pleasure of another, warms my heart.
I am certain the audience appreciated having her play for them.

My son sent a video of two of our granddaughters practicing in the church choir.
There they were in the front row with grownups behind them.
They were to sing on Palm Sunday.
I watched the three-year-old and six-year-old singing with joy.

I thought about the courage it takes for anyone to use their gifts in front of others.
It is a daunting task.
It is one thing to practice in an empty hall or church.
It is quite another to sing or play the piano when others are watching you.

I remember my oldest granddaughter was nervous the first time she played at the nursing home.
This second time, she knew what to expect.
However, you are still quite vulnerable when you play or sing in front of others.
You almost have to forget they are there and just press on.

I texted my son later in the afternoon to see how the girls did that morning in the choir.
He said that the three-year-old was a bit nervous and they had to be close so she could see them.
Understandable, I said, for a three-year-old or even a grownup for that matter.
I meant it, since I know first hand.

I was four-years-old.
Somehow, I was on a TV show called Romper Room.
It was filmed in Philadelphia.
It was to look like a school room, with a teacher named, Miss Connie.

Two weeks of shows were taped in one week.
One day, Miss Connie asked if anyone wanted to sing a song.
For some reason, my four-year-old self volunteered.
I told her that I wanted to sing, The Little White Duck.

The audible gasp from the audience was probably my mother.
I began to sing with my back to the camera.
Miss Connie gently asked me to turn around.
No, thank you, I politely told her, while I sang the entire song with no one seeing my face.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)

Using our gifts can be a bit daunting.
If we are using our gifts for personal accolades, we are misguided.
If we are using our gifts for others, we are sharing what God has given us to use for His glory.
Using our gifts for Him gives Him praise, while it blesses others as well.

I read a book that I absolutely love and have given so many copies away to others.
It is called, Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.
It will change the way you think about kindness and the beauty of face-to-face relationships.

Allen Levi was recently interviewed on a podcast.
He spoke about advice he was given that he has never forgotten.
Being also a singer-songwriter, he performed in front of others.
As a performer, you can’t help but wonder if your music is being well received by an audience.

A friend told Allen a simple, yet profound truth.
The only thing that matters, at the end of the day, is the applause of the nail scarred hands.
We must teach that truth to our children and preach it to ourselves.
The audience of One is all that matters.