Speaking in my future?

  In a recent blog post titled, I can Write, I mentioned how after many years of feeling I didn't have any talents for ministry it finally sank in that I can write, and that in-fact I am not only a writer but also an author! That is pretty exciting!

  There is something else that I would love to do one day as well. Though I guess it can not be considered a talent since far as I know I have absolutely no talent in that area. No experience, no training, no nothing! But none the less I am hoping that speaking is in my future. I just love hearing great speakers! And I would love to be one of them!

 Just recently I got to attend a Priscilla Shirer  simulcast event at a little church here in Texas and hear her speak. She is a very powerful and an amazing speaker! I am fascinated on how she can do what she does so exceptional well!! Love it!!
   I have enjoyed other great speakers as well over the years. I love how they speak so well, deliver a super powerful message, and just flow a long in the message so seemingly effortlessly and smoothly. Speakers like that have always really intrigued me. Either their ability has come with years of experience or they are just born with the gift and talent of speaking!! I don't know what it is, but I greatly admire it!

 Even though speaking in front of a crowd scares me, I am desiring it. ( I know, call me crazy ) But I am hoping very much the Lord opens a door for me in that area some how and sometime. Only since this past year has that really been on my heart though. And I feel like God has to have put it there because I certainly never in the past have  had been open to the idea of speaking. And If the Lord has put it there then I believe He will open a door for me, and not only that, but equip me as well to be able to speak in front of a crowd. I keep praying almost everyday for that.
 


 

The only experience I've had of speaking so far was a few times. The first time was at an Above Rubies Ladies Retreat I helped to organize in 2015. I was going to open the evening with a greeting and introduce our speaker, Nancy Campbell. So there I was the very first time standing on a stage and holding a mic. Well needless to say I was flopped. 
  The second time was at an Above Rubies family camp I organized the following year. This time I knew that I was not good at getting up in front of the crowd, so ahead of time I asked our speakers ( Nancy and Colin Campbell ) if they would just open the evening and introduce them selves!! Plus there was a family who helped with any announcements, help with the door prizes,and such that needed to be done through-out the weekend. So I didn't have to do too much of that, and it all went well enough.
  The next and last time that I spoke was last summer of 2017 at Riverside Bible Camp in front of a group teens. And I have to say that though I was so worried and nervous about it, I was also excited to have the opportunity to do it, and went pretty well!! Thanks to lots of prayers! And that is around the time I really got thinking, "you know I like this". "I want to do this". You can read the blog post on that experience here. It was wonderful for me to get to do that. I got to share about our son Clayton who passed away that spring and had been a camper at that Bible Camp for 5 summers in a row. I also talked about the shortness of life and how we need to be ready to the meet the Lord, and a message of hope that we have through Christ. You can read the message here. ​

  When I hear different speakers I not only listen to their message, but also pay close attention to how they do it, and if they look at their notes much. And am always curious if they had special training in speaking, or just started in and got better as they went, or simply born with that gift?  I have watched speaking tips on you-tube and  have been trying to learn all I can.  And then just praying and waiting on the Lord about it. Trying to wait patiently.
     
  Sure I may be crazy to pursue something of this nature since I don't have a very obvious talent in this area. And especially since I have always been a very shy girl growing up, and have a very quiet nature. 
 But I don't believe a person should be held back by those kind of things nor by fear. 
 
​​

So if you feel like there is something you want to do like this, or a desire has been put on your heart for it. Then pursue it in prayer, and see how God leads.  You may not have all the talents and abilities that you need at the time, but if it's the Lord's will He will give you what you need, and provide a way to make it all happen. 
 Give God what you got, even if it seems quite meager, and you will be surprised what He can do with it! He just needs a willing vessel and a voice to speak through! Moses did not feel qualified or cable of going before Pharaoh and speaking to him on behalf of the Israelite people, but God told him to go. So Mosses went. And God provided! 
 As the saying goes, God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!
 Also someone wise has said, "If your dream doesn't scare you then you haven't dreamed big enough!
 So dream big, step out in faith, and He will provide a way!
​
 In Him, Mae

 And remember your talent is God's gift to you, and what you do with your talent is your gift to God!