Inviting Others to the Party

Susan told me this morning that I must read this one chapter from Donald Miller's To Own a Dragon. He wrote the popular book, Blue Like Jazz. The subtitle of his new book is "Reflections on Growing Up Without a Father."

Miller tells of how he grew up thinking he was stupid. Many of his school papers had lots of red ink dumped on the pages by his teachers. "D's" and "F's" were his common graded. Miller battled ADD and thus had a terrible time trying to concentrate on his teacher's lectures.

Then in one class in his senior year of high school, he experienced a dramatic shift. Wanting to get into an advanced psychology class , he pleaded with his principal to make an exception and let him in -- in spite of his terrible grades. This principal let him take the class and Miller got his wish -- to sit by this cute girl. But something much greater happened -- he loved the class and got the second highest grade among his peers. And he discovered his gift of writing!

Miller made a life-changing discovery: he was not stupid! And it took a principal and a gifted teacher to give him this opportunity.

Reflecting on this experience of growing up without a father or other mentors, Miller gave this wonderful insight: "when you grow up hard, there is a part of you that believes life, college, a good job, money, all of this is for somebody else, and you are not invited to that party." (p. 174)

I think of all those around us who are just waiting for someone to believe in them, to help them recognize their gifts and talents.

Do you remember such a person? Do you recall the time where a teacher or parent or mentor helped ignite in you a discovery of your God-given talents?

May we be such a person to others -- starting with our own children.

Jim