Do Them Well

Hey there! This is Ruth, and I want to introduce this amazing post you are about to read! Esther and I asked our dear friend Sarah to share about the talents God has given her, and to encourage others to use their talents for God's glory. If you don't know Sarah, she is one of the prettiest girls—inside and out—and she is an exemplary example of what it looks like to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Also, she LOVES kids! So much so, that you can tell just by watching her with her little siblings and the kids she works with at the day school at our church. It's so awesome to listen to her share about her mission trip from last summer in Houston, and how she became so close with some of the kids there.

Esther and I are hoping and praying that this post speaks to you like it did to us, and that it will encourage you to use your gifts!

Hi everyone!

My two good friends asked me to share about what I love. I love, love, love kids. If any of you have spent any time with me you’ve probably heard me start a story off saying “One of the kids at the day school…” or “One of the kids I met in Houston…” or something along the lines of that. Kids are my passion.

But guess what. I don’t always want to wake up super early and go to work in the day school at my church. Sometimes I‘m exhausted and I don’t want to play tag with the kids in inner city of Memphis or Houston. All too often I don’t want to read the same Dr. Seuss book I’ve read to the kids a thousand times. I’m too tired to build another tower of blocks, play tickle monster, help someone across the monkey bars, go crazy singing super fun church songs, and the list goes on and on.

I find myself praying this same prayer over and over again: “God, please shine through me today. Help me to give the love these children need today. Please give me energy. Please remind me that these children are a gift and that this day is a gift. Amen.” Let me tell you it works. It usually works in ways I am not expecting but every time I pray that prayer I wake up. Regardless of whether I am working at a day camp or my churches day school or inner city Houston, I become full of joy. I love to see the faces of my two year old class light up as we build a tower of blocks, watch the blocks tumble to the ground, and build another. I love to listen as they tell me all about how they helped their mommy make dinner or how they learned all about polar bears in class yesterday. I love to run around museums and petting zoos with children from Houston and watch them as they get to experience all kinds of new things. The moment I hear a child, excited to see me shout, “Miss Sarah!” I know what I’m doing is good and is absolutely worthwhile.

My heart aches for children around the world with empty bellies, no homes, and no one to show them how greatly they are loved. My heart’s desire is to go somewhere where I can feed and clothe and love children until I drop every day. I know that God has planted that desire in my heart and I’m sure that He will one day fulfill it. Right now I am still a child myself and I belong in my parents’ home.

So for now I will do the jobs God has given me right now and I will do them well.

I will go on the short term mission trips God has given me the opportunities to go on and I will put my all into them.

I will love the children God has placed in my life with all I’ve got.

He has put all of these tasks, places, and people in my life for such a time as this.

I pray the Lord shows you the passion He has planted in your heart. Remember our Father has big plans for us, plans full of joy and love and hope and peace that passes all understanding. He uses what we love for good as long as we love Him first. When we fully trust God and follow him we are promised life and life to the fullest.

According to their abilities

Hey everyone! This is Esther, and I’ve got a question for you.

What do you love to do?

For me, it’s writing. There’s this saying, from Rene Descartes, "Cogito ergo sum." In English, that means, "I think, therefore I am." Well, I like to say "Scribo ergo sum—I write, therefore I am." Pretty crazy, huh? I must really love stringing words together.

But hold up. I've got a confession to make. Sometimes, I don’t want to write. A lot of times, actually. Yeah, crazy, I know. But…most of the time, as much as I love it, I’d rather be watching TV, reading a book, sleeping. Or—this is the most popular one—thinking about writing. Why? Because writing means work. It means putting myself out there with each word that I write. And that’s a scary thing.

There’s this story in the Bible—one of Jesus’ parables. In it, there are three servants and a master. The master decides to go away for a while, so he gives his servants some talents (money), according to their abilities. To the first he gives five, the second two, and the third one. Then he leaves. Well, the first servant, with five talents, immediately goes out and doubles them. So does the second, with his two talents. The third one, though, runs to a field and buries his talent, then goes off and has a good time.

Well, after a long while the master returns and summons his servants for a report. The first two present their earnings and receive big smiles and claps on the back, plus more money and responsibilities. They’ve done well, moved up in the world. Made their master happy. But then the third one, Mister Play-it-safe, crawls up and hands the master this dirty, musty-smelling handkerchief. The master peels it open, and Play-it-safe launches into an explanation. Here’s what he says:

“I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent” (Matthew 25:25, MSG).

Notice what he says--down to the last cent. He didn’t keep anything for himself, didn’t waste any of it on his parties, didn’t even lose it on the way to and from the field. So the master should be pleased, right? I mean, this guy is obviously responsible.

Instead, the master throws a royal hissy fit. “That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least?” (Matthew 25:26, MSG)

Less than the least? Ouch!

Jesus is making a point here; it’s no coincidence that we translate the word for money as talent. God gives us talents, just like the master did his servants. He expects us to use them, and will hold us accountable for them, as well.

And notice something else—at the beginning of the parable, it says the master gave the servants their talents according to their abilities. This means he knew them. He watched them work--knew their strengths, their weaknesses, what they could handle. He didn’t just reach into his purse and toss out a handful of coins. No, he took the time to tailor his gifts, to get them just right.

Are you beginning to see where I’m going with this? I hope so. I pray so. God loves us; He gives us talents according to our abilities, and He expects us to USE THEM. He doesn’t want some moldy handkerchief crawling with worms and spiders, even if what it holds is brand-new and complete. He doesn’t want us to play it safe, to plunk ourselves down in the dirt and make mud pies because we’re too afraid of opening the oven to try the real thing.

Think about your passion. Think about the love you have for it, the joy it gives you. The way it makes you so excited you just have to share it with somebody. It’s perfect, right? It fits you in a way only you can understand. You…and God.

Now answer this question—do you use this talent every day?