Southern California’s Death Valley is 280 feet below sea level. In summer, the daily low temperature is rarely less than 21 degrees and the daily high, for weeks on end, can be up to 50.
In fact, temperatures of 60 degrees Celsius have been recorded….making Death Valley one of the hottest hot-spots in the world.
Not surprisingly, it’s also one of the driest. However, several years ago, a remarkable event occurred. It started raining in Death Valley. For 19 days on end, gentle showers fell-and kept falling on that inhospitable wasteland.
After the rain can you guess what happened?
A zillion tiny seeds from a million different plants burst forth with life. They’d obviously lain dormant for decades amongst the scorching rock and sand but just a few short hours of refreshing water saw that desert transformed into a green and flowering new land. It looked incredible. When we think about Death Valley and seeds I’m reminded time after time about the seeds of talent that lie dormant in many of us. Everybody has some type of talent to share with us whether it maybe a musical talent, coaching-teaching-mentoring talent, writing talent, sports talent, entertaining talent, acting talent.
In Matthew 5:16 we read, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Even if we are religious or not religious, our lives will be enriched with the sharing of these god given talents to help other people feel the appreciation of goodness. This appreciation brings joy to our soul and brightens our future.
In his book Standing for Something, President Gordon B. Hinckley stated:
It is not enough just to live, just to survive. It is incumbent on each of us to equip ourselves to do something worthwhile in society—to acquire more and more light, so that our personal light can help illuminate a darkened world. And this is made possible through learning, through educating ourselves, through progressing and growing in both mind and spirit. [Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something (New York: Times Books, 2000), 67]
Obviously there maybe struggles of trying to find out what gifts or talents we may have. First of all if we take the time to talk to people who have or are successful in there chosen fields, study it out in your mind what interest you, then as you feel goose bumps or a feeling of joy come over you then that is the area of knowledge or destiny where you need to work towards. As you progress you will see a bright future ahead of you.
Sometimes it is common to follow your parent’s footsteps as you grow up. There is nothing wrong with this as long as the chosen field interests you and you know you can make something of it.
For example when I was growing up, my father had a passion for playing Rugby which is a dominating sport here in New Zealand. Because he was fast, he played on the wing. Anyone who does not know about the sport, a wings responsibility is to score tries which equals 5 points to your team. Then as me and my two brothers were old enough to play this sport we were taken to the sports ground to register. It just seems a natural course for me and my brothers to follow. I continued this sport well into my teens representing my schools first fifteen team 2 years in a row 1978 & 1979 playing at first five eight. I played senior level for a few years in the 80’s until my son came along at the age of five, then I decided to give up. Interesting things happen. I took my oldest son along to his first game and automatically I could see he had a talent for this sport as well. Is it in the genes? Your guess is good as mind. Before my oldest son was born, I also enjoyed Athletics as a sprinter and every day I would train at the Sprint track. I wouldn’t consider me Olympic material clocking 12 seconds as my best time. But my son had developed into a fast runner as he went to College to compete in different athletic meets. He made representative level at age 16 & 17 years. Now my oldest son is 20 years and he has traveled to Europe playing in Holland, Germany and Belgium and is now playing for a Club in Ireland all expenses paid.
Since my son went to College at age 14years I have coached him and his teams from under 14’s, 15’s, and under 16’s. I have also coached under 85kg senior teams for 3 years winning 3 championships in 6years of coaching. Not only that when I think of my 2 other boys they are also playing this sport of Rugby.
In closing let us take the example of Death Valley and not keep our talents dormant as we may find that these talents one day maybe taken away from us and given to someone else.
