Do What You are Designed to Do

April 7, 2009

There is a Buddy Davis song called, It is Designed to Do What it Does Do. Now this song is a child’s song about creation, but the same concept applies to God’s creation of us. He designed all of us to do what we do, and with some training and practice we can ‘do what we were designed to do and do it well’. You really need to listen to the song below. )

Just as each of us has one body with many members,

and these members do not all have the same function,

so in Christ we who are many form one body,

and each member belongs to all the others.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.

Romans 12:4-6

For the last couple weeks I have watched people use their special abilities to come to the aid of a family enduring tragedy.  I have watched as one of our elders from church, who has the gift of shepherding, come along side them and say the most comforting words; he has guided them in their decisions and loved them. I have watched the women come along with food and offers of child care. I have watched families come along side and help them prepare their home and yard for a funeral with over a hundred guest. I’ve watched men with a heart of service dig a baby’s grave. I’ve watched as those with the gift mercy reach out to them. I watched as those with musical abilities play their violins during the service. I have watched as prayer warriors have offered up their prayers on their behalf. And the list goes on.

Please don’t take this as bragging, because it is not. But I watched my daughter prepare flower arrangements for the food tables. She used flowers and greens from around our home. She used her creativity to bless others. As I watched her prepare the arrangements I thought of how good God has been to me, to show me the importance of our children knowing MANY skills. They know how to jump in and do what needs to be done. Those arrangements added a touch a beauty to that sad day.

We parents have to make the choice of educating our children in more than academics. They need to know as many practical skills as possible. This means searching out opportunities and people for them to learn from. We’ve learned a lot from a friend about plants and arranging. We also have a neighbor who was a florists, we have learned from her. I am thankful that we have taken time to learn this skill.

Even if your children do not have an interest in a skill, make them learn it anyway. I’ll bet  most kids don’t have a burning desire to learn math, but you require if of them anyway, because you know they will need it. The same applies to practical skills and servant attitudes. 

REMEMBER, we are training them for adulthood, which is so much more than book learning!

My daughter could not have shepherded this family as our elder did, but she did do what she could do, and she did it well! )

Topics: Creativity | 3 Comments »