Surely Not There!

           There is a man in church who was asked if he’d be interested in leading our Sunday School class for a single Sunday.  His response….. “Sure if you give me about a year to prepare.  I’m a Moses.  I need someone to speak for me!”  Aren’t we all a lot like that?  Don’t most of us shy away from anything that takes us out of our comfort zone?

            I had a speaking engagement this past week which delights, yet amazes me.  I remember in high school having to give a book report, and wouldn’t you know, I lost my voice the day before I was scheduled and didn’t get it back full strength for several days afterward.  I couldn’t get above a whisper.  I was terrified!   Now, I’ve never been accused of not being able to have a conversation with someone.  In fact, I’m often quick to speak with a stranger, especially since I believe all strangers are just friends we haven’t met yet!  (I think I’ve shared that comment before!)  My point is, chatting is rarely difficult for me; but the idea of getting in front of a group of people and talk about a subject for an extended period of time has always scared me silly!

            Then I went to college. I took Education classes and many of those classes required speaking in front of your peers.  After all, face it!  If you’re going to teach, you’re going to have to talk in front of others, even if they are only first or second graders!  I discovered, as I kept needing to present, that I actually enjoyed it!  Boy was I surprised! 

            That said, the very idea of presenting something in front of a “paying” audience is still intimidating.  But one morning as I finished in prayer, I was just still and waited on God.  All of a sudden I could see me speaking to an audience…and it wasn’t small!  I was terrified….yet…  I heard me say….  “Here I am, Lord.  Send me!”  

            Now I have no idea how any of that might come about, but I can tell you once I posted that I was available for speaking, the same week, I was offered an opportunity.  It was not before a filled auditorium, but rather some very kind ladies who allowed me to share my heart and then blessed mine by sharing theirs.  I tell you all that because I believe we ask God for guidance but are often afraid of His answers.  We are just certain we can’t possibly do what He wants us to do.  We feel inadequate, unable, uneducated, lacking in skills, or totally incapable for following through effectively what suddenly rises before us.   We feel like Moses!  Will I ever present before a large group?  I can’t know that!  But seeing an empty (or full) auditorium is intimidating!

            What does that say about our faith?  I suggest when we are so afraid, we doubt God’s ability to sustain us and see us through whatever he has called us to do.  Rather than “going forth with confidence,” we are saying, “Surely not there!”  

            God doesn’t need to use extraordinary people to further his cause or lead an army.  He chooses to use those least likely (like me!) to think they can!  It kind of goes with that line in the song, “Jesus Loves Me:”   “I am weak, but HE is strong.”  When we are weak, frail, unable to see our way clear, or recognize our strength; it doesn’t matter.  God is strong, mighty, powerful, totally able to see the whole picture and knows what HE is capable of!  All we have to do is have a heart for Him and trust Him to know He knows what he’s doing, even if we can’t see it!

            I challenge you this week to really, really listen in those quiet moments with God.  What is He telling you?  Where do your thoughts run?  What is your heart telling your mind?  I ask you, could you be hearing our Lord speak, asking you to step out of your comfort zone?