Last Sunday evening, I had the privilege to speak at my church, New Hope Bible Baptist, about my upcoming mission trip. And this morning, I had the opportunity to share at First Baptist Church in Mason, WV. I’m so grateful for these opportunities to share my story and spread the word about the call God has placed on my heart.
But let me just be honest for a second and tell you…PUBLIC SPEAKING IS NOT EASY FOR ME!!!!!
Yes, I was the 2007 Mason County Fair Queen, I received an A in my college speech class, I’ve given presentations in my graduate classes, and I’m an elementary school teacher…but public speaking is still difficult for me. It’s not something that comes naturally.
*shortness of breath*
*sweating*
*irrational thoughts*
…all these symptoms show up each time I’m getting ready to be in the spotlight. Oh and don’t forget the butterflies in my stomach…these aren’t little baby butterflies, these are more like Mothman butterflies.
I ask God each time to make me brave, to be the breath in my lungs, to calm my nerves.
And He always does. He always shows up when I call out to Him.
I have to fully rely on God to give me courage. I’m reminded that without Him, I’m nothing. I wouldn’t have the boldness to get in front of a room full of people and talk for an hour without Him helping me.
I have to pray intensely each time before I get in front of a crowd. I have to pour my heart out to God, and ask for divine intervention and wisdom. This brings me closer to God each time, and I never realized this until recently. A friend of mine asked me what Jesus has been teaching me this week, and it’s this…
In my moment of weakness,
God shows up
Matthew 10:19-20 “…don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking–it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
