Vern looked up at the hummingbirds zipping across the sky and wondered if it was possible to fly. He often could be seen jumping the couple of feet from the couch to the chair, but could he expand his time in the air? Vern stood erect and thought about it for only a few seconds before plunging across the space, landing on the ground. As he looked up, it was clear he was disappointed by his inability to fly.
How often do we attempt to do the things we aren’t created for? Take for instance, I was never very good at running long distances. When I was in high school, I joined the track team with hopes that it would keep me in shape for my tennis season. Because of my short stature, I would never be able to run fast, so I was given the task of running long distances.
But it didn’t take long to figure out that I wasn’t meant to be a long distance runner. My first one mile race began well. I started in first place and was cruising along until I circled the third turn. Then before I knew it, I could hear footsteps closing in behind me. And before long, everyone in the field had passed me, leaving me literally in the dust.
God creates all of us as unique individuals with our own personal gifts and talents. Some gifts can be spotted right from the beginning of our lives while others develop over time. But whatever the age, we should never give up on pursuing our gifts. I discovered a love for writing in my fifties and have been fostering it ever since.
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17)
God wants us to use the gifts we are given for our good and for his glory. If we do so, there is no telling what will happen next.
As for Vern, his talent is definitely not flying. But he does have a gift for being approachable when you need someone to listen. And that’s a gift we all can appreciate.