Gifts and Talents

Our talents grow when we share them

 Diane pictured with some of her students.  From left: (back row) Madelaine, Shaelyn, Diane; (front row) Camryn, Jackson, Rylee

We all have gifts and talents - things that we like to do, or things that we do well, or our gifts may consist of money, possessions, time.  Sometimes we may think our talents and gifts are small and inconsequential, but have we thought about how sharing that talent just in a small way with others may help our talents to grow?  Diane is a great example of how sharing one talent can give us an opportunity to create more talents.

Diane learned to play the piano as a child.  She shared that talent periodically when she accompanied her school choirs.  When she was an adult, she was asked to play the organ for her church congregation.   Diane did not know how to play the organ, but instead of declining the request, she decided to take the invitation as a challenge to grow her talent.  She bought a couple of organ books and taught herself in a few months how to play the organ.  For many years now, Diane has been able to accompany her church congregation on the organ.

Sharing her talents did not end there.  Diane decided one day to teach the youth in her congregation to play the organ.  She invited all the young people at her church who knew how to play the piano to take organ lessons with her.  Every Saturday, one can find Diane at the neighborhood church teaching the organ.  She does not charge for the lessons.  She considers it a service.  She has had about 20 students over the last four years.  Some of these students have graduated from high school and gone to college where they have taken their skills at the organ and shared them with their new congregations. 

Diane took one thing she knew, the piano, and expanded that talent by teaching herself the organ.  Then, she took the talent of playing the organ and learned how to teach the organ to others.  Sharing these talents has not only blessed her, but it has also blessed the lives of all her students and the congregations for whom they will accompany in the future.  It will have a ripple effect.  In addition, Diane has gained new friendships with the youth she teaches.  She says this has brought her great joy and watching them succeed makes her happy as well.  These are added gifts.  All this because she was willing to share one talent.  What is one talent we can share today? What opportunities will come to us because we are willing to share that one talent?  How many more talents will we create when we share what we have?