Drag and Drop

"Uh, I need your help. How do I copy this file from my computer to the flash drive?"

That didn't sound too hard, I thought, as I peered over Cheryl, who sat somewhat uneasily in front of the screen.

"Hmm, should be pretty easy. Just click on the icon, then drag and drop it into the file that corresponds to the flash drive."

"How do you do that?"

I was dumbfounded. Cheryl was no computer novice. She had been clicking and typing away since the days of floppy drives and MS-DOS, and had spent tens of thousands of hours sending and receiving e-mail, working on projects and surfing the Internet during late hours of the night. She had seen the days of Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows XP, and Windows Vista, and she did not know how to "drag and drop" a file? Maybe she simply didn't understand my lingo, so I took the mouse and demonstrated the operation in question.

"Wow! I didn't know that you can do that...."

Incredible. Not knowing how to drag and drop a file is sort of like driving a car without ever getting on the freeway, or not knowing how to make a U-turn. You still can get around...most of the time.

Suffice to say that Cheryl is not a computer "power user". On the other hand, there are some who know every mouse and keyboard shortcut, tweak advanced system and program settings, know multiple common programming languages, and feel at ease with multimedia editing, web design and complex spreadsheet operations. They can custom-design their own computers, purchase components, and assemble them to their own specifications. We tend to celebrate these individuals and are easily impressed by their skills.

The Bible also makes the point of identifying those who possess qualities and skills that are heads and shoulders above others. After instructing Moses on Mount Sinai on the specifications of the Tabernacle, God declared,

“See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.  (Exodus 31:2-5)

Regarding the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, Hiram king of Tyre sent this message to Solomon,

“Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi, the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father.  (2 Chronicles 2:13-14)

When the Spirit of the LORD departed Saul king of Israel, and he was tormented, his attendants suggested that a skilled musician come and play the lyre for him. One of the servants spoke of David,

One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.”  (1 Samuel 16:18)

Among the warriors, the Bible spoke of Gadites who fought for David,

From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains:  (1 Chronicles 12:8)

Finally, there is "the wife of noble character" in Proverbs 31:10-31.

Why were these special people celebrated in the Bible? Ultimately, their gifts are to glorify God, for He endowed these individuals with special abilities for His purpose. Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most prolific and accomplished composers of all time, appended all of his compositions with the initials "SDG" – Soli Deo Gloria, or "for the glory of God alone".

God has given each of us unique strengths, skills and abilities, whether they be in our hands, minds, hearts or spirits. May we hone them and achieve excellence for the glory of God alone.