Ruby Red Slippers

"You can do it. Just jump, I'll catch you." Words from my dad as I stood trembling on the side of the pool and he stood in 3.5 feet of water in the shallow end. He might as well have been in 100 feet of water as far as my little self was concerned. I didn't know how to swim. What if he didn't catch me? What if I drowned? This was virgin, scary territory. What was a little girl to do? But his coaxing eventually convinced me to jump to him. He was my dad, he would protect me.

He, of course, pulled the 'ol learn-to-swim fake-out by backing up as soon as I was air borne. He didn't catch me, instead he made me swim to him. Nice, since learning to swim was the point of this exercise in toddler terror. Terror notwithstanding, dad did not let me drown and did pick me up - eventually. He just wanted to help bring out my swmming skills.

And as it turns out I did learn to swim. Not all in one day, of course. I did take actual lessons (which were no less traumatic) to perfect my innate swimming skills. My parents even made me join the club's swim team a few years later because I was such a good swimmer - I have lots of 6th place ribbons to prove it.

The reason dad could instruct me to jump and then not catch me but instead make me flounder until I started swimming is because I already had the ability inside me. I had just not realized my ability yet - it was hidden until that moment in time.

I have other hidden, latent talents - we all do - innate gifts given to us by our Heavenly Father. Some talents are visible right away - the ability to sing, dance, do complex mathematical equations. But others remain hidden, cloaked behind layers of life, emotions, and fears so that they are unknown to us - abilities like strength of heart, generosity of spirit, patience.

Gifts like these sometimes must be brought out by other means because we don't believe they actually exist, at least not in ourselves. God takes us on journeys to show us ourselves as He sees us. For some, certainly for me as far as my talents are concerned, seeing is believing. If a few years ago you were to tell me I am a patient person I would have said "No, I am not." But God has taken me through many journeys requiring patience, which have shown me that I am indeed a very patient person. I have the ability - in most, not all circumstances, let me be clear - to wait graciously. I didn't always think I did, so I had to learn it for myself.

I am reminded of Dorothy. The Wizard of Oz had nothing in his black bag for her - because as it turns out she didn't need anything, she already had it. Dorothy, as she is trying to leave Oz, is told by Glenda, the good witch, that she can go home at any time; she has always had the ability - the ruby red slippers on her feet. Glenda states that had she told that to Dorothy earlier she would not have believed her - "she had to learn it for herself." Once Dorothy professes what she's learned she clicks her ruby red slippers three times and takes herself home to Kansas and Auntie Emm.

Like Dorothy, everything I will ever need I already have. God has bestowed upon me - and you - the exact gifts, talents and abilities I will ever need. Perhaps not all the ones I wanted - I've always wanted to sing and be a rock star, but that is one thing no one wants me to do (trust me on this!) The gifts I don't know about yet, or believe I possess, God will show me along the way. God did not give me something He does not intend for me to use. While I don't always care for the little journeys God takes me on to show me my bestowed gifts, my abilities, they do reveal more of me to me.

And, I am discovering, I have a closet full of ruby red slippers.

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