Blessed Mediocrity
Moses
said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh…?” God said, “I will be with
you.” (Exodus 3:11, 12)
In Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, a fictionalized account of the death of Mozart, a bitter
Antonio Salieri sarcastically compares his ordinary talents as a composer to
that of the genius whose star so totally eclipsed his own. “Mediocrities
everywhere,” he cries, “I am your champion! I am your patron saint!”
Muriel was only mediocre too as a ventriloquist, a second career to try to keep life and limb together. Her beloved puppets, Candy and Andy, fooled no one, for she could neither throw her voice consistently nor keep her lips from moving. Yet somehow she found a way to get in front of thousands of kids over nearly forty years. In her eighties Muriel was still making children smile with her puppets’ corny jokes and old stories.
She was, frankly, less than mediocre as
a writer—too wordy, too saccharine. Yet she persisted in her search for a
publisher, despite rejection after rejection. Along the way, she met other aspiring
authors, praised their efforts, affirmed their work. More talented writers than
she were published in part because Muriel insisted that they keep trying, keep
submitting.
Muriel died several years ago. At her
memorial service, artists and writers and ventriloquism audiences rose up en masse to call her blessed. The
encouragement and opportunities she had provided, the sweet optimism she had
displayed toward life—and toward her modest talents—came back upon her in a
rush of gratitude. She had become a kind of patron saint of ordinary people.
Humble
like Moses, Muriel knew that her abilities were ordinary. Wiser than Salieri,
she cherished her gifts, accepting their limitations. She knew it was not the degree
of her talent but the commitment and love with which she exercised it which
alone mattered. She knew that to ordinary people—to mediocrities—God says, “Just
try. I’ll be with you.”
Copies of Mike’s
book, You Are Rich: Discovering Faith in
Everyday Moments, a collection of 60 faith-related reflections, can be
ordered through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
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