Tonight at church we had an "egg drop contest," where the kids built a contraption with a given set of materials to see whose egg could withstand a drop at 6 ft., 9 ft., etc. At the end of the contest, one of my little girls was in tears because she "just doesn't have a talent." Her brother has won trophies for basketball, her sister has won trophies for singing, and she couldn't even win a trophy for an egg drop. I sort of know what she's talking about. I have won a few trophies, but they're all for spelling bees. Once you're my age, no one really cares if you can spell. As long as I can read to my children, they're happy. There's spellcheck for everything else. But it occurred to me that some of us just have talents that will never be trophy-worthy. In the ministry (at least the way I grew up), you need to be able to sing and play the piano. Boys need to be able to preach and play sports. But what kind of talent is God wanting to give trophies for? Obedience, faith, trust in Him, sacrifice... The world would never give trophies for this, so it's hard to convince someone of its value. But for those of us who are not athletic and would rather hang by our toenails than sing a solo or play the piano in public, hope is not lost. My prayer today is that the Holy Spirit would develop these things in my life, knowing the reward will never be seen by man. In the meantime, my goal is to look for things in others that may not be trophy-worthy but are clear marks of God's handiwork in their lives.
