Wolf whistle

"WHEEEEEEEHW." A loud whistle rips the air and everyone stops and whirls around to find the source. The next thing is a puzzled look, then bewilderment, "Did you whistle?" they ask me in shock.

From the time I was a toddler, I can remember whistling like my dad did--no fingers, no effort, just a rip-snorting, ear-jangling wolf whistle when my tongue curls behind my teeth and my lips stretch sideways. Teen boys who lived next door used to sit on our porch and beg, "Can you teach us how to do that? It's no fair for a little girl to be able to do that." No matter how I demonstrated (usually with the caution of, "Plug your ears first!"), no one could learn it.

I hoped my daughter would pick it up. Her mouth worked the right way as a youngster, but no sounds emerged. None of our sons can do it, either. I'm hoping a grandchild will be born with this funny, occasionally useful talent.

It came in handy when our kids were young. I refused to holler, "Jeeerrrremmmmy. Kiiiiiiirrrstennn. Timoooooottthhy. Jooonnnathhaaan." So the rule was, "You hear me whistle, come right away." It was loud enough that they had to be a long way off before they could use the excuse, "We didn't hear you." It's also been useful over the years to garner attention when an announcer needs silence from a crowd.

God seems to delight in handing out obscure presents, in giving us a rare tweak or special twist. When we see the specialization and uniqueness of each person, we can have confidence that he knows us by name.

I don't whistle much anymore. Once in a while, I'll stand on the deck and check if the whistle still works. So far, so good. Think about it: what's your unique, perhaps hidden, skill? Got something you do easily, that you pull out once in a while because it's so useful that it would be a shame to put it away for good?

Read more:
*Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Isaiah 40:26 NEV

*So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die." Ecclesiastes 3:22 NLT

*So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:16–17 NLT