Jonathan CymbalHands
(A Children’s Story)
Jonathan was fearfully and wonderfully made by God. So it was no surprise that Jonathan had two legs, two arms, and a very beautiful smile. What was surprising was that God gave Jonathan two very large cymbals in place of his hands. He had also given his friend Henry a hammer and nails for his hands, and his friend Bonnie a basket for her arms.
As Jonathan grew, he became very accustomed to using his cymbal hands. He learned how to cut his food with his cymbal hands, for the sides were very sharp. He learned to balance his cup between his cymbal hands so that he could drink. And he learned to crash his cymbal hands together, for he loved to make music.
One day his father came to him and said, "Jonathan, your cymbal hands are a gift from God. It is time for you to go into town and see how you may use them."
Jonathan agreed. The next day he went into town and began to look for ways to use his cymbal hands. But when he tried to help Mrs. Harvey plant her petunias, he accidentally cut them with his sharp cymbal sides and ruined them. And when he waved at Mr. Jenkins as he drove his car down the street, the sun reflected from his cymbal hands and caused Mr. Jenkins to crash. And when he went to the ball game to cheer on the team, he clapped so loudly the crashing sound of the cymbals annoyed everyone.
The mayor came to Jonathan and said, "Jonathan, your cymbal hands are annoying everyone one in town. Please do not use them anymore. Perhaps you need a job to keep yourself busy."
Jonathan was heartbroken. He wanted to be helpful and he did not want to disappoint anyone. So he found a job holding the plaster for Mr. Wilkins, the drywall man. But the plaster tarnished Jonathan's beautiful cymbal hands. Next he took a job as a waiter. But the food slipped off his cymbal hands and into the laps of the dinner guests, so Mr. Gambini said he couldn't work there anymore.
Finally, Mr. Smith gave him a job as a window washer. He wrapped big towels all over Jonathan's cymbal hands so they would not scratch the glass. As Jonathan washed the windows he had never been so sad. His hands were very dirty, and were completely hidden by the big towels so that he could not even see them. He knew his cymbal hands had not been made for this. As he looked at his sullen reflection in the window, all he wanted to do was go home to his father.
The next day Jonathan and Henry and Bonnie were all sitting on a bench in the park. They were all very sad. Henry had tried to find work using his wonderful hammer hands, but he could only find a job cracking walnuts. Bonnie too was only able to find work carrying bricks for Mr. Nelson, the bricklayer.
Then there came a man in the park handing out pamphlets. The pamphlets said a marching band was coming to town and everyone was invited. When the man saw Jonathan, Henry and Bonnie, he handed them a pamphlet. He noticed how gloomy they looked. "Why are you so gloomy? Don't you know the marching band is coming?"
Sadly, Jonathan told him the story of how God had given them each a special gift, but whenever they had tried to use those gifts it just seemed to make things worse. Curiously, the man asked Jonathan how he had used his cymbal hands, and Henry his hammer hands, and Bonnie her basket arms.
When Jonathan finished explaining all that they had done, the man was aghast. "That is not how you use your special gifts!" he said. "Henry, I can see your hands were made to build things. There is a new family in town and they are very needy. Your hammer hands can be used to build them a house to live in."
"Bonnie, your basket arms were not made to carry bricks, but precious babies. The orphanage always needs someone to love and hold the babies."
"What about me?" Jonathan asked excitedly.
"Let me look at those cymbal hands of yours," the man asked inquisitively.
Jonathan showed him his cymbal hands, and then the man smiled."You are just the person we have been looking for. Our marching band is in need of a cymbal player, one who plays very loud!"
The next day the joyous marching band paraded through the town. As the band passed by, Henry waved from the roof of the house he was helping to build, and Bonnie smiled joyfully as she held a precious baby in her arms.
And Jonathan was the happiest of all as he marched in time with the band, crashing his cymbal hands loudly to the cheers of the town.
U.Art.Known
We all have gifts or special talents. I hear often of a mother or father remark about the special qualities or natural talents they recognize in their very small children and I have seen their glow when they marvel and wonder at how those gifts or talents may be realized as their child grows. Many times those talents are actualized, but for others those talents are often pushed to the background as the pursuit of life begins and those talents become a distant memory of what could have been.
Perhaps other talents will take their place, as knowledge and the exercise of maturity overwhelm an early talents sentiment and soul. But it may also be possible that when the opportunity arises, we are afraid to expose our talents, for fear of offending our stature or that we may find ourselves on the brink of silliness. And yet they remain, often unused and for the benefit of no one else, other than the simple pleasure we may derive from them of what may have been.
It is the same in the church, your church... whatever church that might be. As you become a believer in Jesus, He has for each of you a gift. A gift that is yours and that is precious. But it is not a gift that you should keep hidden for years on end, or to be ashamed of, afraid of what others may think. It is a gift that in itself is meant to be shared with others for their benefit and for your joy. For if those gifts are not employed, what benefit was there in the giving of the gift in the first place? As children are given natural talents and gifts for the benefit of their body, so to the Lord gives gifts to His children for the benefit of His body, which is His church. It will be a shame if you do not put to use those gifts as He has intended for you to do.