Can you see?

We went to G's final band competition of the season tonight. He's in that picture. Can you see him?

How about this picture? No? It's no wonder. When I got to the stadium, took out my camera to take some pictures, I found that the viewing screen was broken. I'm very disappointed. I've only had the camera June. I've taken excellent care of it, always keeping it in a case. I have no idea how the screen got broken. It will still take pictures, but you can't see what you are taking a picture of. You can only aim and hope.

And you can see that that doesn't always do such a great job.

It started me thinking about marching bands. Each band member knows where to walk, how many steps to take in which direction. He may not know what his steps will do in the entire formation -- what we the audience will see on the field, but he takes his steps and trusts the person who choreographed the show.

G was confirmed a couple of years ago, and joined JM. He comes to church every Sunday morning, participates in whatever ways are open to him, attends youth group (and loves it), goes to conference events - in other words, is a very involved UM youth. On Wednesday, he chooses another youth group meeting, at one or another friends' church to attend. This Wednesday, my mom was bringing him home. He said he had to go home and practice his trumpet, because the youth director that evening had told them that they could serve God by using their talents. He said he had a talent for playing the trumpet, so he was going to go home and play hymns.

My son often amazes me.

We use our talents, we give our gifts in service to God. We do it because it is what we are called to do. We can't always see what our steps will accomplish, but we trust the choreographer and walk where he asks us to go. We may never see the final product, or the pictures we are making, but we do it anyway.

That's what we do. That's who we are. And every once and a while, we are blessed to see the final result. It's beautiful, it's graceful, and it's a gift God will give us.