I went for a long drive not too long ago and I put in the earplugs and started singing. It wasn’t too long before I knew I was out of practice.
I had forgotten where to throw my voice to do certain things. That probably doesn’t make a lot of sense if you’re not a singer. It had taken many years for me to learn how to do this and my skills were not as sharp. Of course, for me to be able to say I can sing is testament God will grant you what you are not born with.
Music is not my gift and I always thought that must have been some kind of a divine oversight. So I made it my study. I can talk to you about music written on a staff, by letter or by number and would be able to play it however you could express it. I can sing, play the trumpet, cords on a piano and some more. I have skills. But music has never been my gift, just one of my life long loves. I would never call myself a musician.
I am a carpenter and builder. That is one of my gifts and I have developed it into a talent. What is the difference?
If it can be built of wood, given tools, materials and time I can build it. There is a great probability I won’t even need a drawing. If you have a problem with your house, I can come and look at it and tell you what causes it and what it will take to fix it. I haven’t made a living in wood working in years, but I do projects now and again and there is no loss of skill. My eyes don’t work as good, but that’s another topic.
Growing up poor is a good way to learn a work ethic and I have always had an insasible curiosity. I have applied the same skill process of learning to both music and woodworking and music but got different results. I can’t write a song worth listening to, but I can make wood sing.
I look around and I think there are a lot of folks who have gotten good and making a living at something that is not their gift. Is that living the dream? Perspective and focus are the answers to that, I think. Or, for me, what am I going to spend my time getting good at?
I mean, there is not enough time to master all the subjects I’m interested in. Last week I was finishing a job, studying a new course, taking care of babies, trying to help around the house and not enough hours in the day to get the lists done. But everything is a direct result of a choice made by me. Maybe it’s less about mastering and more about how things are mastered. The journey is the destination kind of thing. Or… Maybe there is an approach that applies to everything. Wouldn’t that be fun?
Know what I mean?