One of my greatest fears is public speaking. I can sing in front of thousands of people having barely practiced, but the thought of standing in front a class full of just 15 people (fully prepared, I might add) to present a project absolutely terrifies me. My heart starts beating faster, my palms get all clammy, my tongue feels like it’s incapable of forming words. That is how it has always been.
After I signed up for this trip, I began realizing that I WILL ACTUALLY HAVE TO CONVERSE WITH PEOPLE. I know, we’re all really shocked. But I kinda started freaking out a little bit. How do I talk to people to tell them about Jesus and what He sacrificed for us without talking? Because if I talk it is basically guaranteed to get messed up. But then I read Jeremiah 1:9, “then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!””
In the moment I read that verse I felt a sense of overwhelming peace about the issue that just moments before was majorly stressing me out. And then I remembered that God never leaves us hanging. He never deserts us or walks out on us. If the relationship between us suffers it’s because I left Him hanging, not the other way around.
When God called me on this trip it was never so that He could purposefully put me in a situation where He was going to leave me to suffer alone. He doesn’t do that. He has placed His words in my mouth so that people will be healed, changed, and ultimately find Him. And even if I do stumble over my words a little bit, it’s all a learning experience that fits into His perfect plan. So I’ll get over the embarrassment. It’s for a good cause, the best cause.
