Selah Sings the ABC’s with a Twist

What do you get when an engineer marries a writer and they have a baby?

You get a very special little girl who sings The ABC’s With a Twist! Here is Selah performing at the school talent show last week!

Here’s the long story for those of you are into that sort of thing…

Brian learned how to solve the Rubik’s cube a couple of years ago. A couple of months ago, just a couple of weeks before turning 6, Selah suddenly took on an interest and decided she wanted to learn how to solve it. Brian handed her a set of instructions and I will admit–we were both fairly blown away when she just read through the instructions on her own and learned how to solve it…as long as she had the instructions to follow. Within just a matter of days after that, she had all but the last two steps completely memorized. So she only needed to pull out instructions for the last two steps. We were impressed for sure! But for whatever reason, she really though it was just too hard to memorize those last two steps. She was perfectly content knowing what she knew.

Fast forward a week or so and the school announces that they are holding a talent show.

Selah: I want to be in the talent show. What’s a talent?
Me: Well, it’s something that you do that’s really special and unique, and you perform on stage.
Selah: Well I want to be in the talent show.
Me: What would you do?
Selah: I could do a cartwheel.
Me: Well, a cartwheel is pretty cool, but for a talent show you kinda need to do something REALLY special.
Selah: I know! I’ll do my running kip!
Me: Uh…there won’t be a bar on stage…
Selah: I could read a book.
Me: Well, yes, it is really special that you can read a book but a talent show is for things that are a little more…unique…and really, really special.
Selah: Then I’ll read a chapter book.
Me: Again, it’s quite impressive that you can read a chapter book, but that’s not exactly talent show material…and, it has to be less than five minutes. You know, if you learned how to solve those last two steps in the Rubik’s cube, THAT would be a fairly impressive talent for a kindergartener.
Selah: No, that’s too hard.

<conversation over>

Fast forward a few more days…

Tuesday: some friends (who were quite a bit older) were discussing the routine they were going to do for the talent show. Selah says to me again, “I want to be in the talent show.” “Well, think of a talent before the auditions on Thursday!” I replied.

Wednesday morning: Brian and I wake up in the 6 o’clock hour, and when we get out of bed we realize that Selah is already up and has memorized one out of the last two steps needed to solve the Rubik’s Cube. By the time Brian got home from work that night she was able to solve the entire thing without instructions. Just in time for the talent show auditions the next day :).

Thursday: By Thursday afternoon, she not only had it memorized but could solve it in less than 2 and a half minutes. After her “audition,” we suggested adding a little script to make the act really special…and the rest is history :).

This girl seems to have been born for the stage. We had three weeks to practice before the real talent show and from time to time she would just burst out, “I can’t WAIT to be on stage!!!!!! I LOVE being on stage!!!” Other than her ballet performance at 4 years old, I’m not sure she’s ever been on a stage?!! I’m certain she’s never used a microphone before. But my goodness, she certainly hit the ball out of the park.

When we came home from the talent show she said, “Next year for the talent show, I want to solve the Rubik’s cube blindfolded.” So…stay tuned…she has a whole year to practice :).

Selah Bethany, we see how God has knit you into an extraordinary little girl. Over time, you will be tempted to use your talents to glorify yourself instead of the Lord. May you always return to glorifying Him…whether you eat, or drink, or solve a Rubik’s cube, may it all be to the glory of the One who formed you. 

We love you and are so thankful for the heart that God is forming within you!!