This past Friday, my team and I were speaking on a public Thai radio station about our week of running a summer English camp when I said- and I quote -“…it completely changed the way I teached.”
Everybody just stared at me, when I realized my stupid oopsie. At that moment, I thought to myself “I am so unqualified for this.” Who let me speak on the radio, let alone teach a group of 50 young, bright children the English language?
I’ve had this thought before, such as when Steph and I were trying to teach our kids in Cambodia about vowels. But we quickly realized it’s impossible to teach vowels since they made absolute no sense to us. The sound “uh” could literally be any of the vowels… I’m still confused.
And then this morning, I gave the sermon at church. All week as I was preparing it (or procrastinating preparing it), I couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would want to hear what I have to say. I’m 19 years old, with no college education, not much life experience, and certainly no pastoral training. As the radio show proved, I can barely speak proper English, let alone put together a 20 minute sermon about the extraordinary, indescribable God.
Through all of these times where I’ve felt incredibly unqualified, though, I know that I already checked off the one qualification. I said “yes” to coming on this trip, “yes” to God and to trusting all He had in store for me. I don’t need anything, because He equips me with every necessity and so much more. He’s given me the heart, the energy, the desire, and the opportunity to be His hands and feet. And if He wants me to teach English, talk on Thai radio, or preach then I will, and He’ll help me with it all.
So as I go into these next two weeks of teaching at another school, I will be confident in the knowledge that God qualifies me. (And I’ll try my hardest to speak correctly and teach these kids proper English.)
