Ardilla de Ecuador

Yesterday, my family and I said goodbye to a wonderful young woman, Gaby. She came to us in August of 2011 as an exchange student, not knowing who she would be staying with or what God would do with that school year. We were incredibly blessed to get to know her, and she is as much a sister to me now as my own flesh and blood. I know this will fade with time, but every time I think about her departure, I get a little teary-eyed. It's not easy to entrust family to an airplane and another country, even if it is the place she grew up. She is seriously considering coming back to the States in the fall for college, and she's even been accepted to my alma mater. Mom and Dad have offered to let her stay with them throughout her university career if she returns, and money is starting to come in from various places. I pray that God continues to open doors for her and makes His will evident... and, selfishly, I hope that His plans for her involve a return into our homes and our lives.

When I feel particularly emotional, whether it's positive or negative, I write music and poetry (the line is often blurred for me). This one is for you, Gaby - if my Spanish is terrible, lo siento. :)

Ardilla de Ecuador

A summer spent anxious, so incierto

To see what future God would deliver

Blindly she stepped into el aeropuerto

And yet, she trusted that He would be with her

She fell into our lives with love and abandon

A passionate learner and iniciador

Risk taker, thrill seeker, lover and fighter

Our little ardilla de Ecuador

Baila, baila, hermana linda

Tu alegría se llena la sala
Bella luz tu sonrisa brinda

Nos vemos pronto, ojalá!

She came para vivencia y conocimiento

But also found a place en mi corazón

A year of happy divertimento

The girl with two families, the girl with two homes

But all good things must come to an end

So we hugged and cried and said our goodbyes

We watched tu avión as it rounded the bend

And prayed for seguridad up in the skies.

Baila, baila, hermana linda

Tu alegría se llena la sala
Bella luz tu sonrisa brinda

Nos vemos pronto, ojalá!

Que Dios los bendiga toda tu vida
Our prayers and hopes go with you still

Hasta la vista, amiga querida

We love you and we always will!

God-Given Talent

I stink at drawing.

I mean it, truly awful. My faces are cartoonish, my animals look like they're the unfortunate result of a bad genetic mutation, and my hands?

Beach balls with hot dogs attached.

But that's okay. I've come to terms with the fact that I will never create art like my husband can. With just a ballpoint pen and a napkin, he can create striking images with perspective, shading, and depth. His eyes are particularly beautiful, partially because he has been fascinated with them and drawing them since he was a kid.

I can, however, sing well. And play trumpet. And I pick up other instruments quickly – piano, guitar, other brass such as trombone and French horn. My loved ones have expressed admiration at these talents, which have only gotten better with four years of study at university. As a lyric soprano, I am particularly fluid and and airy, with a flute-like sound; sixteenth runs and Baroque music fit my voice type well.

It sounds braggish, but it's simply the truth. I take no credit for the musical gifts I possess, the same way my husband takes none for his artwork. We have both studied and worked to perfect these talents, but we started from God-given natural abilities. Coming from a family that places high value in music as worship, I believe that working to improve talent is an essential facet of praising the God that granted it.

Everyone knows the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25. While it was not necessarily the parable's intended lesson, I find the play on the word “talent” quite fitting. Those who have been given much are expected to invest wisely and produce much. If one is blessed with a level of ability beyond the norm, it should be honed and used to bring Him glory. Our God is intentional; nothing escapes His sight and nothing happens by accident. Therefore, in the areas where you naturally excel, focus on developing even greater excellence and using your gifts to honor Him. This can be in any area, not just the arts: maybe you cook, maybe you're a great organizer, maybe you teach. Allow your talents and passions to give clues into God's plan for your life.

I'm reminded of a story my grandfather told me. When he was head of the music department at my alma mater, a young man called him out of the blue and asked for an appointment. When the scheduled time came, the young man shook his hand and said, “Sir, I believe God is calling me to be an organ major.” My grandfather asked him three questions:
      “Do you play any organ?”

      “No, sir.”

      “Do you read music at all?”

      “Not a bit, sir.”

      “Have you any natural ability for music?”

      “Not really.”
      “Then God is not calling you to be an organ major.”

I know that there are exceptions to this; Moses was not a natural public speaker, but God spoke to him very clearly via the burning bush and gave him the words. In general, however, I believe that our natural abilities make wonderful guideposts for God's intended plan for our lives. This is reflected in Scripture in 1 Corinthians 12.

So, if you're great with kids, pray and seek God's plan for that gift in your life. Maybe you're meant to teach; maybe you're meant to be a parent; maybe you're meant to serve as a church children's activities director. I don't believe that someone who naturally relates well to children and feels at home working with them is meant for a life without children in it in some way. Like I said before, our God is intentional. Explore, discover your talents, and seek the Lord's will in what role they will play in your life. Because odds are, the God that gave them to you has plans to use them.