Soul Mx - Gifts That Last

This is part of a series shared ecumenically with members to whom I was assigned; the goal was to start conversation and deep thought, and many of these messages led to great conversations.

Gifts that Last
Original Publication Date: 6 November 2020

Have you ever looked at what someone else is good at and wondered how they got that way? Is it natural talent, or is it practice, or some combination of both?

Consider what this world would be like if no-one stood out for their talents, if everyone was good at exactly what you’re good at and there was no need for AFSCs, specialists, artists, education, educators, qualifications, or certifications.

Our talents, combined, make us a phenomenal Air Force Base; there are things that you do that I can’t do, and things that I can do that it would take you a lot of practice to be able to do. This breadth of talent is not meant to discourage you, but to help you focus on your area of expertise and appreciate those around you. I have a classmate from high school who is now a registered nurse, he is fully qualified and I would defy you to find a better nurse to care for you in your time of need. But I remember a few years back he got a new car…why did he get a new car? Because a taillight had gone out and he was tired of pouring money into fixing his used car. Any mechanically minded person knows that a taillight a simple and inexpensive repair, but my friend is not gifted in maintenance, and while I would never take my car to be worked on at his hospital, I would take myself, or one of my children, or you, to see him in an instant.

So, what are you good at? What are your talents? Where do you need someone else’s help? If you could learn to do one thing, what would it be? (These are not exclusively rhetorical questions, I’d love to receive your response!)

As we are nearing the holidays it is not uncommon to think of gifts as physical presents—the newest game-system or smart phone or an ugly sweater or a fruit cake—but today I want you consider gifts in a much more intangible and lasting way, of where our aptitude is found, of what we’re the best at through either natural inclination or because of years of training. I hope you have some ideas of your gifting; if you don’t ask someone around you, or stop by the chapel and we can do a gifting-inventory!

Now that we’ve talked about you, let’s talk about your coworkers and friends. What are their talents? What can you do to recognize and bolster their gifts? Some of very best people I know in the Air Force are people who were sought out and invested in by someone else. Encourage someone this holiday season to hone their giftings, maybe pursue a class or a certification, or volunteer in a position where they can shine, to put their talents out there so others can see and benefit from them. Benjamin Franklin wrote a short poem encouraging us to use our talents:

Hide not your talents,
they for use were made,
what’s a sundial in the shade?

As a prior maintenance expediter I regularly had what was called, “Airman Drive Fridays”. It was the highlight of my week—maybe the highlight of my career—to put a totally unqualified person in charge of the radio and manpower for an entire shift. I was always close by to make sure they didn’t fail or get somebody hurt; in fact my call sign on Fridays was “4-Papa” and I told my Airmen that you could tell how well they were doing by how many times the superintendent called for “4-Papa” over the radio. Some days were more fruitful than others, but there was never a wasted experience. I was able to discover talent and know who was a gifted in time-management, who was a better mechanic, who was more suited for planning/records and—on occasion—who needed some special attention. Those Airmen are doing phenomenal things for the Air Force now, surely they would have without my help, but I hope they learned some things and grew through the experiences that I, and my supervision, sacrificed to give them. One of them sewed on MSgt last week, another commissioned last month, several of them are running shops all over the world. In my faith tradition it is popular to proclaim, It is More Blessed to Give than to Receive. I’ve learned that this is true from hundreds of Airmen, and I certainly am more blessed for having known them and invested in them.

But don’t let me make you think this is easy—if it were easy everyone would do it—it takes commitment and time and growth and patience. The pay-out is worth all of the sacrifice. The consequences for failing to grow ourselves and our Airmen is dire, because despite our talent, if we’re not using it and growing it, we may find out we’ve wasted it. President Calvin Coolidge was famous for saying,

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.

Isaac Stern, a renowned violinist, was once told, “I’d give my life to play like you!” to which he replied, “I did give my life to play like me!” As we look at those great leaders, those great mechanics, those great nurses, it’s easy to think they got that way through their talent, but if you ask any Colonel, any Chief, any Chaplain, any master in any trade, I’ll guarantee you’re going to hear the same thing: they have grown to be the people they are today, and that they can name dozens of mentors in their past who helped them to discover and increase their gifts so that they can do the same for those who are coming after them.

In closing, let me paraphrase Henry Ford,

What happens if we develop our Airmen and they separate?

What happens if we don’t, and they stay!?

This holiday season, make the effort to give an intangible and lasting gift: pour your life and your talents into someone else so that you’ll both be better for it.