Talented FHE

Tonight for Family Home Evening, Gracie led us in a lesson about talents. She accomplished a goal in her Faith in God booklet by doing this. I just had to share what everyone wrote down for their talents. In no particular order...

Landon (6) is good at:

writing my name

imagining

I'm working on walking to school all the way

making up new games

putting on slip on shoes

wearing hats

going to sleep

(He has always been very good at that! He used to put himself down for naps and even now he is a star at going to bed when asked)

Geoff (37) is good at:

programming computers

drawing

computer art

woodworking

welding

building

Emily (11) is good at:

drawing

reading

learning

helping others

legos

baking

math

being sarcastic

Gracie (9) is good at:

climbing high

adventuring

playing with the boys (her brothers)

reading

math

writing

hiking

running

Ethan (4) is good at:

running

climbing trees

playing

Diana (36) is good at:

writing

baking

sign language

sewing

sleeping

Becca (13) is good at:

saying yes and no (with the direction that she is looking)

feeling the Spirit and sharing this feeling with others

saying 'I love you' and helping people to be patient enough to wait for her to "say" it

Aside from Becca's, these were all in their own words. I loved hearing what they thought about the good in themselves. 

Earlier today I was finishing up tailoring work on a wedding dress. A teenage cousin was resisiting his mother who was trying to get him to practice the piano. I asked him if he wanted me to tell him the parable of the talents from the scriptures. :) 

It made me think, though, that if he had any idea how he will value that talent later in life, he would practice with much less cajoling. How often do we miss out on something we're good at because we choose to spend time doing less meaningful things instead of practicing and developing a talent in earnest? How many people would love to be able to practice the talents we have and circumstances won't allow it?

Don't waste your talents, People!

Don't bury them, hide them, disuse or disrespect them! And yes, I absolutely mean you, Future Emily, Future Gracie, Future Landon and Future Ethan!!