I am a triangle.

He's pretty incredible at what he does.  He uses stones as his canvas.  He lives in New York and tries different things with different lighting and photo sensitive paper and is really a neat guy.  She learned Spanish in French with English being her first language.  She just spent 2 years in Cameroon in the Peace Corps.  She's an insane amount of fun.  He writes in Washington D.C. and his Mom glows and giggles when she talks about him.  I could go on…these are my cousins.  I always felt like my brother, sisters and I were like, I don't know…off.  We couldn't "do" anything.  We are fabulous at a party and pretty good with drama.  We aren't really high maintenance and enjoy good food and good music, but we can't really "do" much.  No one in our family has ever pointed that out, except for us, which is usually the case when you think someone is better than you at something.

Every year our church has Evensong.  It's an evening of "Lessons and Carols."  I always enjoy going.  The sanctuary is beautiful with greenery and poinsettias and the music is God honoring and wonderful.  I LOVE "Once in Royal David's City" and this year our children sang.  Actually they did last year, too…but anyway…both the adult and children's choir sing and there is a small orchestra and it's just simply lovely.  It's a great lead in to Christmas to keep our hearts fixed and focused.  This year the cymbals stole the show, however, because they scared the pants off of the children's choir every time they were clapped together. (or banged or clanged…how should that be said?)  You could see the children directly next to the percussion section start to move the other direction when they knew it was coming.  Their faces started to wince a bit while they waited for the clang.  Then it struck and even though they were ready they jumped a little bit and you could see those around them giggle.  I wasn't anywhere near them and they still made me jump a bit.  This year my sisters that live in town were able to come and where they enjoyed the cymbals,  they really got a kick out of the triangle.  I have to admit, when you really watched it, it was sort of funny.  You have all of these big instruments.  The drums you can't miss and the cymbals that no one can deny are there, the horns and so on…the orchestra everyone is all there, then you have…the triangle.  When it's "turn" to shine approaches it is held carefully in the air and then struck at just the perfect time, and "ting," usually only once.  Maybe it has 2 or 3 more appearances and then it is gently laid down to rest.  Ashley and Alex have a combined age of 12 when sitting side by side and they found it so funny.  As I watched it with them, it did seem out of place.  I mean, I own a triangle myself!  It's not the fanciest instrument in the world, but it gets to play in the orchestra!  It doesn't have a huge role, but it's there and when it does it's job, the piece is better for it!

I don't know how to sketch a scene on stone and I'm struggling with a dead language, but y'all…I'm in the orchestra.  I'm not the fanciest, or the biggest, or the loudest (well, sometimes I am) but I have a part.  God has wired each and every one of us to not only "do" something, but to "be" something.  He has created us to "be" something to someone and certainly to the lost world.  It is only when we look to our Creator do we realize that we have any value at all.  We might look silly when we find ourselves next to the cymbals or the horns, but they are part of a whole just like us.  The cymbals can't be a triangle and the triangle can't be a french horn, but when they all focus on the Conductor and play their part, they make music.

So, this year as I learn how to deal with my own issues and struggle to focus on my Conductor and only "ting" when I'm asked, I'm going to be so thankful that I am a part of a bigger picture, an orchestra…and I'm going to pray that the music that is played makes the Conductor proud.

So, I felt like the entire chapter was necessary. :)  Many blessings to you and yours and Happy New Year!  I do have a small resolution regarding this little space, so maybe you'll see, or hear more from me this year.  TING!

PS
None of my cousins know that they are better than us, so please don't tell them! :)
And, in case you are wondering about my cousin that uses stone as his canvas…here he is
And I just remembered that I should note the few things we can do…here we are in order:
Aimee: She kick boxes…her arms are incredible!
Ali: I love people and enjoy helping Moms
Andy: He is AMAZING with people and is a bartender at the Hyatt (my hookup for wine corks to make my awesome wall for the kid's art)
Ashley: can draw unicorns and decorate beautifully
Alex: can recover from Lupus and her house burning down twice and is absolutely the fun aunt!

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.