This evening was a blast. I was involved in a fundraising quiz for work – well, actually, I organised it. And it was absolutely fantastic! There was a real buzz in the air, everyone seemed to have a good time, and it all went without a hitch. But my favourite moment came halfway through.
For a little while, I could sit back and watch. The kitchen was serving up crumble, the raffle and tombola were being run by colleagues and volunteers, the quizmasters were taking a well-earned break. Like a well-oiled machine, everything was working together.
At the end of the evening, in typical British fashion, the quizmasters, the head chef, and I were caught in a cycle of congratulating each other – each trying to pass the credit on to someone else. You know the situation:
“Thank you, you really set the tone.”
“But you did the hard work.”
“Yes, but we couldn’t have done it without them.”
It got me thinking. First, how wonderful it is to be part of a team so eager to build each other up that this conversation happened sincerely. And second, how each of us brought different gifts to the table.
I could stand at the door and welcome people because I knew reliable hands were running the raffle. The kitchen team knew where to send the food because I’d set up table labels. I could relax, knowing the food would be excellent. The quizmasters could focus on presenting, balancing the need to get through questions with giving teams time to think – and adding a little light-hearted banter. Meanwhile, they trusted me to get the questions on screen and tally the scores.
It sounds pretty basic written out like that, but in reality, with all these things happening at once, it felt like a tapestry – each thread contributing to the whole. Take one part out, and the tapestry loses something, or even starts to unravel.
So yes, it’s good to congratulate each other. But you know what? It’s also okay to accept the congratulations from others.
And so it is on a larger scale. Each of us has different skills and gifts. By combining them and working together, we create the richest, most beautiful tapestry. It’s like Paul says in 1 Corinthians – a body has many parts. An eye shouldn’t compare itself to an ear, because they each serve a different purpose (my paraphrase).
When we compare ourselves to others, we miss the beauty of diversity – and often diminish our own contribution, or theirs. But when we encourage one another’s gifts and have the courage to step into our own, wonderful things happen. Tonight was a great example of that for me.
Tonight reminded me that life works best when we lean into our gifts and trust others to do the same. Whether it’s running a quiz, serving up crumble, or simply showing up with a smile, every thread matters. And when we weave them together, the result is more joyful and vibrant than any of us could create alone.
The Reason for my Hope Blog 