Thoughtful Thursday-- Grab Hold

Being productive makes me happy. 

Being overwhelmed with lot's of things to accomplish does not. 

But the feeling of accomplishing something, getting things checked off the list inspires me to do more. 

It's like what I picture rock-climbing to be like. You look for a hand-hold or a foot-hold, grab on, pull up and start looking for another. Eventually, you make your way to the top, thanks to all the little cracks and ledges you found on the way up.

But what's the top? I'm not sure. It's not perfection or anything like that. I guess 'the top' would just be a life well-lived. A life in which a person did the best they could with what they had. Not everyone finds good hand-holds on their climb. This makes me think of the Parable of the Talents.

Matthew 25:14-46

The Parable of the Talents

 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 

He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 

Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 

'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' 

His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'

 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 

'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' 

His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 

'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 

But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

This passage always does it's work, causing me to examine myself.

"What is my talent? Or do I have more than one?"

"Have I buried my talent? Or am I using it to the best of my ability?"

An obvious talent, and one most easily recognized as a talent, is my musical ability. Do I use this to the best of my ability? Not always. This past Summer, I took a long vacation from practicing. I still played at church, but I could really tell that I was not doing what I should be to keep up my playing. Do I use this talent to glorify God? Mmmm...when I'm playing at church, I am praising God with song and helping others do so. So, yes, at church I do. At home though, a lot of the time I'm focused on myself. So I could use my time better there.

This is just one example. It's a very challenging and convicting thought. Have I buried my talent? Am I just biding my time, waiting for life to begin?

Life is happening around me and there is so much I can be doing to contribute. I just need to look around, recognize what God has given me and grab hold.