You Don’t Have to Be Good at Everything

Yesterday I attended my first pep assembly at the Christian school where I teach. The state volleyball and soccer tournaments begin today, so we needed to make some noise.

I snuck up to the top of the bleachers, out of the fray.

I didn’t know what to expect, as it had been, umm, a short 26 years since I attended my last high school pep assembly in Wyoming.

It was loud. Really loud.

All of the students circled around the gym, and the announcer called out the names of the varsity soccer and volleyball players. I clapped loud, as each player ran the circle, slapping each hand of the entire student body.

Then everyone took to the bleachers, and I watched the most fun thing ever.

The varsity volleyball girls played those varsity soccer guys in a volleyball match.

All those strapping lads out there, and they couldn’t return a volleyball to save their lives. The ball hit the ceiling. A few times they tried kicking it back over. Serves hit the net.

The athletic director kept artificially boosting the guys’ score over the PA, but I don’t think even that helped.

Right then, I was encouraged that people are only meant to shine in a few areas. It’s totally fine that those guys can’t play volleyball.

It’s okay.

Their teams have won state titles for the last 10 years, and they don’t need to add volleyball to the list of what they’re good at.

So, about you.

You don’t have to be good at everything, just amazing at a few things.

Like my friends who had us over for pizza in their super cozy house. That oven door kept opening with every kind of homemade pizza you could imagine. There was even one crust made out of cooked cauliflower and cheese for the gluten interolant.

I can’t play volleyball or impress anyone with my pizza skills, but I can wrangle words.

Do that one thing you’re good at with all your heart. Just put all your energy into that thing you’re good at, and do it for the glory of God. That’s all your people need.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Col. 3:23, NIV).

Christy Fitzwater is the author of A Study of Psalm 25: Seven Actions to Take When Life Gets Hard. She is a blogger, pastor’s wife and mom of two teenagers and resides in Montana.