Pursuing Your Giftedness. We Got This!

 “Risk is essential. It’s scary. Every time I sit down and start the first page of a novel I am risking failure. We are encouraged in this world not to fail …  We are encouraged only to do that which we can be successful in. But things are accomplished only by our risk of failure. Writers will never do anything beyond the first thing unless they risk growing.”---Madeleine L’Engle

“I’m not good at this; Why bother?” Before butt hits the chair and fingers start typing the thought is there. All of us have heard the whisper. It’s not specific to writers. Every artist, counsellor and teacher is familiar with it. Comparing my craft to others makes it obvious I’m not the best. But I am unique. Is that a reason to do it? Why pursue art? Here are some convictions to quiet the clamor.

You may as well rip off one of my arms or legs. I can’t not write. This is a parameter not a proof. I’ve no desire to be the zoo gorilla flinging feces. You need not venture far to find samples of people without gifts that think they have them! I once wrote 50 Sydney of Australia* stories and sent them to a tour group anonymously! The burning is an indicator.

Hear what the voices outside your head are saying. And yes, could be everybody’s too nice to tell you the truth (see gorilla analogy). Are there objective comments? Early evidence of giftedness? (thanks for the encouragement mom!) All art connects the artist and the aesthete.

Art is (per L’Engle) the small stone tossed into a lake. We contribute beauty to a world in desperate need of it. The biblical picture of donating the widows mite; the talent invested and not buried. Sure, I want “fame and fortune and everything that goes with it.” Conversely though, my soul, and hopefully yours, is fed through every small pebble I skip out onto the water.

To quell the whisper I entertain these other voices. The shout of my writing heart. The satisfaction of the perfect skip of the stone on water; fulfillment of my giftedness. At small risk to self, beauty framed and displayed.

*superhero very loosely (the women especially) based on the Batman genre

Photo by Y S on Unsplash

Investing Your Talents

I heard a teacher say that you should use your art like the talents in Matthew chapter 25 (The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’) Write or teach or draw,  whether you teach or write or draw for one person or a hundred. The thing is being faithful with your gift.


God surprises us in His faithful use of our gifts. We don’t know how more talents will be gained but God gives interest on our investment. He is glorified by our use of the talents He gives us. The joy is in seeing the unique by product our investment brings.

Tonight while leading the discussion at Bible study God allowed me to use my time in Leviticus to illustrate His holiness. A couple of guys saw God’s holiness clearer as I shared God’s heart in Leviticus. Our responsibility is to apply diligence in sharing our gift. God will supply the increase.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

From Carmen to Classroom-People Coming Alive Files

She said she was a teacher. I asked her how long she'd been teaching. "I've been doing it for a year. I used to be a professional opera singer. One day I was teaching children, and I realized that I was having much more fun than I ever have on stage. So I turned in my contract, and started teaching." Not only did she make the change to the classroom, but to special education! "Children, today we'll be singing Tosca. You each have a copy of the libretto. Please sing along."