Assignment 3

Miesha: "My Talent is Perserverance"
*What is your talent/gift?
*What are you going to do with it?
*Compare your talent with Miesha's

I certainly support Miesha's statement when she states that her talent is perseverance. It continues to amaze me at how each of these students have the ability to continue moving forward and achieving what they want, despite the hardships they face.

While Miesha believes that her talent is perseverance, I believe that my talent is music. From playing the viola to singing with a group of friends, I believe that I really show my talent in music. Starting in elementary school, I have participated in the music program and have continued to stay in it. I hope to continue to have music be a part of my life. I joined the Orchestra class in sixth grade, and immediately excelled in it. I haven't stopped playing since. I have managed to hold first seat violist throughout high school.

Music empowers me. It is the one subject in school that I could spend hours and hours of doing and never get tired of it. With my talent,I plan on continuing to practice music in order to enrich my life and the lives around me. I already do in my church by participating in the church choir through singing and playing the viola.

My talent in comparison with Miesha's is somewhat similar. In any activity that you pursue, there must be a large amount of perseverance mixed into it. Sure, I am a musically inclined individual; being able to hit each note on pitch and whatnot, but, it still takes a large amount of practice and perseverance to actually become good and hone your skills. Perseverance is a key part in success, in my case, being a successful musician.

Literary Connection: Jesus' Parable of the Talents NOTE: In ancient times, a measure of gold was called a talent: There once was a master and he had three servants. He goes on a trip and gives gold to each of them. The first one spends it having a good time, the second one purchases a rug in the market place. The third one goes out into the fields and buries it. When the master returns, he asks them what they did with the gold. The first one says, "I spent it and had a great time with my friends." The master says, "Very Good." The second one says, "I purchased a rug in the marketplace." The master says, "Very Good." The third one says, "Master, you will be most proud of me! I buried it in the fields and here it is!" The master beats him and send him out of his house.

What do you think is Jesus' point? What lesson does he teach and how does it connect to you and Miesha? How does this story work on more than one level?

The point that Jesus is trying to make would be that we are each given different talents, and that those talents must be shared and put to use, rather than be "buried in the fields." When you hide your talent and don't share it with others, you waste a talent.

This idea connects to Miesha in that she put her talent to use. Rather than hiding it and letting it go to waste, she put her talent of perseverance into her schoolwork and worked to succeed and get somewhere better in life. Miesha faced a very troubling childhood and was forced to deal with many hardships, but she used her talent of perseverance to get through it and continue to succeed in school despite the troubling circumstances around her.

The point that Jesus makes in this parable is connected to me as well because I have been given the talent of music. Rather than burying my talent in the dirt, I plan on sharing it with others and put my talent to good use. Just as Miesha uses her talent to succeed in what she does, I use my talent to enrich my life and the lives of the people around me.

This story works on more than one level because at the first level, you could perceive the story as telling us that burying the gold rather than spending it or putting it to good use is a waste. But, on a deeper level, the reader could perceive the lesson as being that Jesus has given us all different talents, and we must make sure that we put it to good use, rather than "bury it in the dirt." By putting our talents to good use, we can reap the benefits just as the first two servants had; one having a good time and the other a rug. So, by using our talents, we can receive more than what we can attain other benefits.