Houdini is From Hungary?

Harry Houdini (1874-1926): the greatest magician on Earth

Did you know that Houdini came from Hungary? I certainly didn’t. Regular Hungarian lessons have been established, and our professor from the Nyiregyhaza University gave us a booklet for foreigners like me. There was practical information inside the booklet, like which roads to take to get to other cities from Budapest, why Hungary is an interesting place to visit, what foods to eat and a list of notable people from Hungary’s past. I found composers and scientists in the list, but was surprised when I saw Houdini. The other men and women had short paragraphs noting their accomplishments. Houdini, on the other hand, had one single phrase; “The greatest magician on Earth.” I don’t know what I expected, but maybe a little more than one meager sentence. I have to admit, the sentence does pack quite a punch. The GREATEST magician on Earth. I don’t know a lot about magicians. Not that I want to become one, but I quickly searched the web to see what I could find on them. There was some conflicting information, as some websites claimed David Copperfield was the best, or maybe Penn and Teller were the best. Who decides which magician is the best? Who decides whether an artist is better than another, or a composer, architect, chef, author or dancer? The list goes on and on. Have you ever wanted to be the best at something? I used to think it would be pretty great if I were the best softball player, basketball player or maybe even violinist. Am I the best at any of these things? Obviously not, but I enjoy these pastimes.

If you were the best at something, what would it do to you mentally, physically or spiritually? Wouldn’t it be kind of hard? Again, who decides whether you are the best? You must strive to impress these people until they are satisfied. Would you enjoy what you are the best at if it came at the expense of someone else’s approval? You’ve heard of countless stories where the best of the best couldn’t take it any longer. They were not happy, trying to gain everyone’s praise. They destroyed themselves physically or mentally. I went to the Bible for verses on doing your best and came up with the following:

Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Titus 2:7 says, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity.”

1 Peter 4:11 says, “Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

There are several points I got from reading these verses. In the Colossians verse, we can see that whatever we do, we don’t do it for the approval of the people around us. This is kind of hard. In a school system, like in basically any work atmosphere, there are always requirements that must be met. You have to follow the rules. Then we shall break all the rules! Okay, no. The rules are there for a reason. They guide us on the path of accomplishing something that glorifies God. If not, maybe you should break the rules. Ha.

The Titus verse puts things into perspective for me. When I do something, it shouldn’t be with the intention of showing everyone I am the best at it. I liked the words integrity and dignity, so I looked up their definitions. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Dignity is the importance and value that a person has, that makes other people respect them or makes them respect themselves. These are qualities that, when put into practice, show God’s work in my life. When people see me, they should see God.

The 1 Peter verse reminds me that the only reason I have the ability to do anything at all is because God has given it to me. Nobody deserves the glory God deserves. I deserve nothing, so I shouldn’t strive for praise from others. I should strive for giving praise to God alone.

I like the 1 Corinthians verse because it shows God loves for me as I try to accomplish the goals God sets for me. When I do something to the glory of God, it is also beneficial to me. I enjoy playing sports. It’s also good for my body and it makes me happy to be with others who enjoy sports as well. I enjoy teaching. I also gain the benefits of meeting new people, making new friends and learning from my students.

I’m not the best at teaching, learning new languages or staying in shape in the least, but I still enjoy them. I don’t need to be the best at them. I’m blessed to have the ability to enjoy the life God has given me.

Thanks to these abilities, I’ve successfully participated in Christmas programs at church and in school, speaking Hungarian and playing violin. I’m staying at a fellow teacher’s house for Christmas and later, for New Years, I will be with a friend in Slovakia. I've already been to a fantastic Christmas concert, put on by the Nyiregyhaza music school, where a few songs were even sung in English. Then, maybe I’ll be rested up for the rest of the school year. Pray for the safety of anyone who is traveling and thanksgiving for the gifts and abilities God has given you.