I gave the greeting at church this morning.
At our church, that doesn’t mean just standing at a door and shaking hands as people come in. It means getting up on the platform and telling the congregation, in both services, (probably about 600 people) what God is doing in your life/has done recently or what you are struggling with. I’ve seen the greeters get up every Sunday for 15-20 years and think, “Hmmm, I wonder what I would say if I was asked to do that?”
Well, I was given that opportunity this morning. I was so nervous and shaky, but I didn’t pass out, fall down or make an idiot of myself so that was a bonus! I shared my journey (abbreviated, of course, to fit into a 2-3 minute deal) of losing 50lbs, losing fear, and realizing that God grows us through difficult circumstances. Obviously, I could go on and on (and on and on) about this process (as I do in this blog!) but I was able to get it done in a reasonable amount of time.
I’ve never thought of myself as a public speaker. I feel I do pretty good one on one, and have shared this journey with enough people that I understand that somehow it does resonate with others. I never considered what it would be like to share this with a large crowd. I have to say, by the time the second service rolled around, I kind of liked it. It was weird and I didn’t expect that. I guess that’s just another fear that is being stripped away. Either that or I’m just getting older, more comfortable in my skin and just don’t care so much what people think. Maybe a combination of all of the above.
All in all – it was a terrific experience and I am so grateful that I listened to the “nudging” to just do it and step out of that comfort zone yet again. I’m finding more and more that outside of my comfort zone is where I’m becoming more comfortable.
That is unexpected. And exciting.
Life and Other Stuff 