God-Given Creativity
Chapter 3 — Family Faith
Micah stood just inside the garage, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his sweater.
Tavita was measuring a long piece of wood across two sawhorses, the smell of fresh-cut lumber mixing with the cold afternoon air. On the floor nearby sat a small pile of wooden blocks Micah had carried out earlier. He stacked them carefully, testing each layer, watching to see what held.
“What are you making?” Micah asked.
“A stage for the children’s choir,” Tavita said. “So they have something steady to stand on when they sing.”
Micah nodded, then looked at his blocks.
“I could help,” he said quietly. “But I’m kind of little.”
Tavita set the measuring tape down and turned toward him.
“You’re not too little to think,” he said. “And thinking is where building starts.”
He pulled a folded paper from his pocket and opened it on the workbench—a simple sketch, lines drawn lightly, nothing complicated.
“What do you think would make it strong?” Tavita asked.
Micah climbed onto the stool beside him. He studied the drawing, then stacked two blocks together and pressed them gently.
“If you put one here,” he said, adjusting them, “it won’t tip.”
Tavita smiled. “That’s a good idea.”
They worked side by side after that. Tavita cut and fitted the wood while Micah tested shapes with his blocks, learning where balance mattered most. When Micah grew quiet, Tavita spoke again—not to instruct, but to steady him.
“The Bible says that God gives different gifts,” Tavita said. “Not so we can show them off—but so we can use them to help each other.”
Micah nodded slowly, as if weighing the idea the way he weighed the blocks.
Inside the house, Leilani practiced with the other children, their voices rising together in careful harmony. Anna listened from the kitchen as she worked, the sound filling the space without demanding attention. Leilani’s voice wasn’t louder than the others—it blended, confident and sure.
When rehearsal ended, Leilani came into the kitchen and leaned against the counter.
“I wish I could sing like that,” Anna said softly, almost without thinking.
Leilani looked at her, surprised. “But Mom—your cakes are the best. Everyone always looks for them.”
Anna smiled. “That’s not really the same.”
Leilani shrugged. “It kind of is. People are happy when you make them.”
The words stayed with Anna as she finished preparing the cake, smoothing the frosting carefully—not trying to make it impressive, just good.
The night of the recital, the fellowship hall filled slowly. Children lined up near the stage, nervous and excited all at once. The stage Tavita and Micah had built stood firm —plain, sturdy, just enough.
Micah ran his hand along the edge once, checking it, then sat beside his father.
When the choir began, Leilani sang with the other children, her voice lifting and settling among theirs. Anna felt something quiet and full rise in her chest—not pride exactly, but gratitude.
Later, people gathered around the tables. Anna’s cake was already being sliced. Plates filled. Someone smiled and nodded as they passed her.
As the evening wound down and chairs were stacked, the family lingered together.
Micah leaned against Tavita’s side. “I helped build it,” he said.
“Yes, you did,” Tavita replied.
Leilani hummed softly as she carried a plate. Anna wiped the table, unhurried.
As they stepped outside into the cool night air, Anna thought about the evening—not about who had been noticed, but about how each of them had offered something real.
Scripture surfaced again, steady and clear:
“So God created mankind in His own image… male and female He created them.”
— Genesis 1:27
And with it, another truth she had learned long ago, now freshly understood:
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
— 1 Peter 4:10
Creativity, she realized, wasn’t about skill or spotlight.
It was about reflecting the God who creates—and using what He gives for the good of others.
They created because their Father was the Creator.
And in offering their gifts to one another, they had lived their faith quietly, together.
This is God-Given Creativity, from The Family Faith Series by The Cardinal and Dove.
