All my young life, I never felt that I was very good with words. I felt uneducated and often struggled with my words getting tangled and tongue-tied. I was often told by those around me that I would never be a public speaker or a teacher. As I grew older and trusted in the Lord, He often put me in situations to pray with others and publicly tell my story of salvation. It was terrifying, and I always tried to talk myself out of it. I would tell myself I was not good enough and certainly not well-spoken. I would often avoid speaking situations because of my fears.
The Lord continuously led me to Scripture about trusting in Him. He showed me that my fears were not warranted and that He had given me the gift of hospitality. In fact, He showed me that I had had it all my life. I started to pray, “Lord, may my words be your words,” right before any opportunity requiring me to speak. He blessed me with a career in nursing. It was amazing and so fulfilling to have found my spiritual gifts that the Lord had shown me. I loved it and was very good at it.
Later in life, God provided an opportunity for my husband and I to become leaders of our prayer team at church and share our testimonies publicly. Talk about being out of my comfort zone!! Of course, every opportunity turned into exactly what the Lord had planned. Because I now trust the Lord with everything in my life, I am no longer worried about these things and know that when He gives me these opportunities, I am to be obedient and trust in Him.