Gifts

God doesn't give a gift without
giving an obligation to use it.
How one uses it, though—
that's where things get complicated.
—Christian Wiman

Isn't that the rub?

Yesterday a group of us celebrated a friend's birthday with lobster rolls at a local restaurant. Before we placed our order the waitress listed all the specials for the day, extolled a local beer and brought us all a tasting.

She asked if we wanted a happy birthday song and said that she always asked first because some people didn't want to be serenaded by an  entire restaurant. The birthday celebrant declined.

Not only was the waitress upbeat, but you knew she genuinely enjoyed her job. Her rhinestone tiara told the whole story. It sparkled. We also knew that she sang with the church choir—and played the guitar.

When she brought the desserts someone said, "Let's sing." She started and then said—"everyone join in and we did.You have to release inhibitions—

Her gift—certainly her voice, but it was the gift of being present that stayed with me—and the delight she showed with what she was doing.