By Rose Dee
My favourite tea cup had a chip the size of
a marble. It was time to trade it in for a newer model—that was when I first
saw the Wedgwood cup. It was a delicate teacup with a swirly handle inlaid with an opulent blue and gold floral design. It was the perfect size and shape.
I swear the tea tasted better in this new, pretty little cup.
There was only one problem in purchasing
such an elegant object—it made all my other crockery look very ordinary indeed.
But I had a set of expensive Old Country Roses china that had sat in my display
cabinet since my wedding. I had always been worried about using them. They were
for ‘good’—except the ‘good’ opportunities came and went through the years, and
I would always forget to put out the ‘good’ china. It was time for a change, so
out came the wedding china.
Now we relish every minute of our morning
tea, enjoying our bikkies from beautiful rose-patterned plates. It doesn't
matter that my husband sits in dirty work clothes, and I am generally in
ordinary around-the-house attire.
It struck me today that that Wedgwood teacup, a very small addition to our lives, had actually triggered a wonderful awakening. If I hadn't realized how great it felt to eat from such lovely china, I would never have pulled that wedding present out of the cupboard. It would still be sitting behind glass doors collecting dust, year after year.
I began to think about how many times we keep our own inner talents hidden in the same manner. We hide them away, thinking that one day they will come out. One day we will sing that song; one day we will paint that picture; one day we will write that book. So many of us sit on these special talents until that ‘one day’ when we think we will finally use them.
Let me say today is that day. Do that one thing you have always wanted to do, because once you do, you can open up a whole world of new experiences and joy. You may still be like me and my hubby, enjoying a wonderful thing in the midst of a very ordinary existence, but the joy lies not in the measure of success, but in the enjoyment we gain and share with others.
Today is your day. Use that precious china – because if you don’t, it will be given to someone else for their enjoyment.
Matthew 25:28-29
'So take the talent from him and give it to
him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he
will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be
taken away.'
Read the full story of the Talents:
Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts
Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences
growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her
first novel, Back to Resolution.
Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to
produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.
Beyond Resolution, and A New
Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.
Rose’s debut novel Back
to Resolution won Bookseller’s Choice at the CALEB Awards 2012. A New Resolution won the
Fiction prize, CALEB 2013.
She has also released The
Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with
three other outstanding Australian authors.
Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.
Visit Rose at: http://rosedee.com/
