More Than (eBook)

1.03

What Am I Good At?

As I rolled out of bed one Saturday morning, I headed to the closet to change into my running clothes. I’m not a good runner, but I am pretty good at not skipping a run. And I find that going for a morning run is a great way to start the day. It makes me feel like I’m MORE THAN capable of accomplishing something big.

I was putting on my running shorts and socks, when I heard heated chatter coming from the dining room. My nine and twelve-year-old daughters were drawing pictures.

I didn’t know what they were drawing, but drawing had begun as a phase and had evolved into quite a passion. And what the older one did, the younger one tried too. They had a variety of sketch pads with different textured papers. And they had collections of fine art pencils and pens with various tips and thicknesses that could make even the worst artist feel like Picasso, at least until they actually started drawing.

“If you’d do it like this and change this a little bit, it will really make your drawing better,” said twelve-year-old Gray, very matter-of-factly.

A fist slammed on the wooden table.

“Graycen, you don’t know everything!” shouted nine-year-old Campbell.

Unphased by Campbell’s aggressive retort, Gray said, “Of course I don’t, but I’m just saying that since I’m better than you at drawing, I thought I’d be a good big sister and help you out.”

Her response dripped with a patronizing sarcasm she could’ve only learned from her father. This further irritated Campbell, and she stormed out of the room sobbing. Sometimes life and older siblings have a way of beating you down and making you feel less than. For the record, Gray is great at being a big sister. She has strengths in a multitude of areas, but compassion and nurture are not necessarily her two biggest spiritual gifts. I’m happy to report that today—just a few years later—Gray and Campbell are best friends.

Meanwhile, around the corner in my room, I didn’t know whether to insert myself into what was quickly escalating into a hostile environment or sit back and let things unfold. I decided to sit back and let things unfold. I figured it would give me an insight into their conflict resolution skills and it’s never too early to develop those.

A few moments later I heard Campbell return to the dining room.

Through tears and sniffles she yelled, “Graycen, you’re good at drawing, you’re good at cooking, you’re good at school, and you’re good at music. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m good at.”

Less than attacks when you least expect it. Sometimes it wears you down until you’re mired in despair. Other times less than disguises itself as comparison.

Emotional and obviously hurt, Campbell stormed away. I heard her steps grow fainter as she disappeared downstairs and into the basement. A few moments later I heard her practicing scales on the piano.

I raced out of the bedroom, forgetting that I hadn’t quite finished putting on my running clothes. It was all I could do to keep from tripping as I ran down the stairs with one sock on one foot and the other sock in my hand. I scooped her off the piano bench and carried her over to the couch.

She was crying.

As I sat there holding her in my arms, her cheeks covered in tears, I explained to her that she was smart and talented and beautiful and funny. I told her she was MORE THAN. MORE THAN I ever wanted. MORE THAN I ever expected. And MORE THAN I deserved.

I squeezed her tightly and wiped her tears with my fingers. I told her I loved her and that I loved her sisters, and if she was questioning what she was good at, I had the answer she was looking for. She was good at making me laugh, and what’s more important than that?

She makes me smile. She makes me laugh. She makes me glad I’m a father—glad I’m her father.

Whether you’re nine years old or ninety, deep down inside, every one of us has a desire for MORE THAN—a desire to be MORE THAN, to give MORE THAN, to do MORE THAN, to achieve MORE THAN. A desire to contribute and do something meaningful. We want to know we matter, we’re significant, we have a purpose, and we are a part of something greater than ourselves.

But sometimes it’s the people closest to us who distract and discourage us and push us off course.

How many times have we been discouraged, disheartened, or in despair? And how many times has God scooped us up into His big comforting arms and held us?

The psalmist David wrote, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made...”(Psalm 139:14). And the apostle Paul wrote, “You are bought with a price...” (1 Corinthians 6:30).

Pretty clear MORE THAN sentiment from two guys who always seemed to know what’s going on.

Yes, you are MORE THAN.

I’ll admit I enjoy social media and I appreciate all the positives that social media provides such as discovering relatives I didn’t know I had and watching hilarious videos of people falling unexpectedly into swimming pools. But social media’s never-ending highlight reel makes it easy to compare what others have and what others do to ours. And siblings can be just as bad.

Early in the Bible we find the story of Joseph. Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers because they thought he was their father’s favorite. Have you ever noticed that in most cases, those closest to the favorite rarely like the favorite? So, when Joseph went to check on his brothers in the fields, they roughed him up and tossed him in a pit.

Really? Who does that? Talk about feeling less than.

A group of travelers came along, and in one of the worst judgment calls in history, the brothers sold Joseph into slavery. They agreed to tell their father that their little brother had died, and they made a pact to never reveal the truth.

I come from a family of brothers. We’ve had our occasional minor differences, but we’ve never considered tossing each other into a pit or selling one another into slavery. Or if we have, I haven’t been included in the plans.

Even as a slave, Joseph was a hard worker, honest, and trustworthy. Eventually he earned the attention and respect of Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Potiphar then promoted Joseph to serve as his personal assistant. From a pit to a promotion, that’s definitely MORE THAN.

The story has yet another twist. Eventually, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, but he refused her advances. To make a long soap opera short, Joseph was framed for a crime he didn’t commit and then imprisoned where he ended up interpreting the Pharaoh’s dreams. He convinced Pharaoh that there would be a famine and he should store up enough grain to sustain Egypt through seven years of famine.

As a young man, Joseph’s life was simple, but God had big plans—MORE THAN plans—for Joseph. Joseph’s life may have taken a dramatic turn for the worse multiple times, but his faithfulness positioned him to help sustain his people through several years of peril, and his commitment to God allowed him to save thousands of lives.

Years later, overcome by famine, Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt desperate for grain. Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Before granting their request, he asked them to return home and bring their father and younger brother with them. Upon their return he revealed his identity. He forgave his brothers for their misdeeds, and there was great rejoicing.

God had used the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers for one of the biggest MORE THAN experiences in all of Scripture. And He can use you too. Remember, when God gives you MORE THAN, He expects you to give MORE THAN so others can experience MORE THAN too.

You may not be thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, or framed for a crime you didn’t commit. In fact, I hope none of those things happen to you, but I guarantee God can take your everyday ordinary life and turn it into MORE THAN.

When we moved to our community, we found a church to attend. It was a large church with a beautiful exterior and even nicer sanctuary and facilities. Being new is never easy, but people are always welcoming. We visited for several weeks, and on two or three occasions when we were driving home after church, we realized that no one had greeted us or even spoken to us at church.

I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. It was a big church, and everyone must have assumed we’d been attending all along.

At church, we noticed that children often participated in the music ministry, and they also had an orchestra that played music one weekend each month, typically with congregational singing. Gray and Campbell had always been involved in music and they were taking piano, violin, and cello lessons. They were both active in chorus and musical theater. On multiple occasions we mentioned that the girls would be thrilled to participate in the music at church. Nothing happened.

Meanwhile at school, the choral instructor recognized Gray’s passion for music and asked her to sing a solo with the school chorus. Eventually she auditioned...