I preached at the corrections center last night and my subject was the Parable of the Talents from Matt. 25. The direction I took had to do with defining the three servants: one given five talents, another two and lastly one.
I likened the servant who received five talents as one who is born into a country of affluence, opportunity and wealth; born into a family where the cradle is rocked by a loving mother who attends to every need: coos and nurtures the child along with a strong, hard working father who models manhood, responsibility and character.

Now the second servant who receives two talents, is like the soul who is born into a family where the parents are more self-seeking, less nurturing, to the point of neglect; the soul grows up learning much of life from his peers; his character is shallow, his education is short, and his confidence is in fantasy and dreams.

The third servant who receives but one talent is the soul that is born into a home of turbulence; mother is fighting addiction, barely meets the child's necessities for life; her addiction has damaged her bond to the child and the father, absent, at the local tavern at night. As the child grows he cowers as father bursts into the house in a drunken rage, filled with criticisms and anger; or, in another, one talent home, the child lays in bed fearful that the bedroom door will creak open and a whiskey breath softly coercing with promises, sweet-talk and secrets into another hour of sexual abuse.

Oh Christian, whatever your state, God will give you talents suited to your circumstances and abilities. You may struggle from underneath a pile of emotional rubble, with but a dim glimmer of light ahead; but God has given you a hope, a call and a promise of support! You may never turn your talent into five, nor even two, but Christ will strengthen you to improve if you will but trust and try. 

Your talent may have but a mustard seed of growth in the beginning, small as the interest at a bank, but it is a beginning.
He has given you the encouragement of others like yourself, that have held tightly to the hem of His garment and watched their talent grow from one, into one and a quarter and then a half and then two, and in some cases, the soul with but one talent, exceeds all and returns with ten!
Think not that a past blurred with sorrow, affliction and abuse will hinder you from improving your state; think not that your life has no future or hope; that you will be left to scrape from the earth some meager existence void of love, trust and value. Oh no, if we but take the good way; if we begin to show ourselves faithful, with the enabling power of God, He will help us multiply our talent, and we too will hear him say, "Well done! you chose the good way, so much as was in you, you followed the faithful way, and as mean as the beginnings were you served me with what you have, and it is enough!! Enter into my joy!