It was meant to be a quick trip to the library. We’d had a long morning and our tummies were grumbling, so the plan was to grab our books before heading straight home for lunch. But as the librarian checked out our toppling stack of books, she casually asked if we’d seen the sand structure being erected in the park across the way. Apparently a statue festival was to take place in the park the next day, and a team of professional sand sculptors was hard at work creating the sand dragon that would be the festival’s pièce de résistance.
Our family never misses an opportunity to admire public artwork (ART and FREE are two of my favorite things!), so all plans for heading right home were abandoned. Instead, the kids and I dropped our books at the car and took the short walk over to the sand construction zone. The area was fenced off, but we were able to observe a trio of sand sculptors at work. Using shovels and trowels, they piled and scooped sand into place, then chiseled features into the mounds. The team included a father and his adult daughter, and I was bemused to see the older man ask his daughter to hold her hand in a claw-like position and arrange her face into a grimace so that he could replicate her look for a small creature nestled in the folds of the larger sand dragon’s wings.
The artists seemed open to talking as they sculpted, and I plied them with questions about their work—how long they’d been creating sand sculptures, whether they enjoyed other forms of art, the type of sand that they used, their favorite artistic inspirations. . . The sculptors, clearly enthusiastic about their craft, were as eager to answer my questions as I was to ask them, but they kept at their work, continuing to chisel as we spoke. Figures emerged beneath their experienced hands, with grains of sand being molded and transformed into reptilian faces and scaly tails and fiery flames.
Observing their work, I had a realization: I LOVE watching individuals who are excellent at what they do. Whether it’s a sand sculptor who can bring forth intricate facial expressions from tiny grains of sand, or a musician who evokes every emotion with a pitch-perfect chord progression; a writer whose prose sparkles on the page, or a home cook who knows just the right amount of spice to add to a dish; a teacher whose object lessons never fail to illuminate a difficult concept, or a hostess who succeeds at making every guest feel right at home; a car mechanic who can pinpoint and rectify an engine’s problems in a matter of minutes, or a skilled conversationalist who brings out the best in each contributor to a group discussion; a programmer whose effortless code manifests in virtual wonders, or a veterinarian who can calm a frightened pet with a soft word and gentle touch. There’s something incredible about watching a supremely gifted individual share that gifting with the rest of the world.
I think about all that must come together for an individual to maximize their God-given gifts with such flourish. The gifting had to be identified and cultivated, possibly at a young age and likely with the support of parents or other cheerleaders who rallied around the raw talent and offered plenty of encouragement. Such fine-tuned abilities rarely exist in a vacuum, and a fully-realized talent is like the bloom of a flower that was planted by God to be watered and nourished by the gifted individual AND his supporters. Its beauty is enjoyed by all who see it, and it’s up to us to sustain the plant as it continues to bloom.
Whenever I have the opportunity to witness this sort of maximized talent, I experience a sense of honor that I get to be a part of it—as a recipient of the joy and amazement that this gift brings, and also as a cheerleader who can encourage the talented individual to continue leaning into their fine-tuned abilities.
Our church recently studied the topic of spiritual gifts and callings as part of our deep-dive into the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians 4, Paul explains that members of the church body have been equipped with different skills and gifts “for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s son, growing in maturity.” A few things to note about these spiritual gifts and callings is that they are 1) God-given, 2) for the benefit of the whole body of believers, 3) meant to bring unity within the church, 4) enhance our knowledge of Christ, and 5) promote our spiritual maturity.
Reading through that list, I can think of many instances in which I have seen this working as it should, with individuals’ gifts being recognized and utilized for the benefit of the whole church and the furthering of God’s Kingdom. I’ve been blessed by prayer warriors whose prayer ministry has transformed lives; worship leaders with an ability to shepherd a congregation through powerful moments of spirit-led worship; children’s pastors who have captured the hearts and literal souls of countless young ones; missionaries whose zeal for unreached people groups has mobilized thousands. God endowed these individuals with incredible gifts, and the whole church was blessed because they were faithful to the ministries for which they had been equipped.
Sadly, I’ve also seen God’s design for spiritual gifts get off track. Sometimes that’s because an individual’s gift has gone unrecognized or underutilized. Other times, jealousy among other believers has held a gifted individual back from living into their full potential. On many occasions, I’ve observed overzealous Christians step into positions that were clearly beyond their skillset: the intentions were good, but in occupying positions outside of their personal giftings, those overeager servants have taken up space that was meant to be occupied by someone who would have been a far better fit.
As a follower of Christ who desires to be part of the church’s flourishing, I want to be someone who recognizes, acknowledges, and celebrates the gifts of others. I want to contribute to growth and unity within the body as one who exercises my own gifts and supports other believers as they do the same.
And as a human on this earth, I want to be a champion of the talents and gifts I see in those around me. Isn’t it amazing that God has wired each of us so uniquely? That in itself is a gift worth celebrating.