encouragement

I am a person who stresses and stresses and stresses and stresses.  I was a nervous wreck before my limited prep. speech tournament back in February.  I was a nervous wreck before giving my persuasive speech at an event this March.  And, of course, (some things don't change) I was a nervous wreck earlier today.


Let me explain.  Last Thursday (i.e. one week ago) a person I knew mentioned that the students at the school she works at will be doing a play for their end of the year presentation.  She was wondering if myself, along with other students from our public speaking group, would be willing to come in and spend 45 minutes with two different groups (1 1/2 hours in all) to show them some acting skills.  I love working with kids and it sounded pretty awesome, so I was like: "Oh, we'd love to!  Let me see if people are willing to come, but it sounds awesome!  So...when will it be?"  And she was like, "Oh...how 'bout next Thursday?"  And I was like, "Thursday?...*gulp*...Sure!"


If you have ever put together an agenda for 45 minutes for 1st and 2nd grade students, you know how much time needs to go into that.  And so all of the sudden, my weekend/early next week turned into scheduling.  It got to the point where on Wednesday I was still having trouble remembering what I was supposed to say.  Now, even if you're a relaxed person you would be a little concerned.  If you are a stresser, like me, you are going to be so high-strung that you pull a muscle in your back [I am not kidding--I did]  


So, fast-forward to this morning, when I'm sitting on the bench outside of the school waiting for it to be one o'clock, the scheduled starting time.  And all the while I'm trying to run through my line-up and feeling more and more like I couldn't do it.  If you have ever tried to run something through your head when you are stressed out, you know that the only thing that happens is that you get more and more stressed out.  


All of a sudden, a Bible verse popped into my head.  I had used this Bible verse to calm myself during limited prep. in February and my speech in March, and it's a real whopper of a verse:


Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.~Joshua 1:9

It is unbelievably amazing how much God uses that verse to minister to me.  Just the thought of God being with me wherever I go is an incredible concept.  And don't think that God doesn't care about little things like presentations in front of grade-school age kids, because He does.  He really does.  He knows that every single opportunity is a way that we can glorify God.  Honestly, the thought that every moment can make or break an opportunity to witness can be a little intimidating if we don't realize that God will indeed be with us wherever we go.  All we have to do is be strong and courageous, and God will take care of bringing glory to His name.  


So, it went really well.  I had a clarity of mind that I really had not been expecting, and I can genuinely say that it was a lot of fun.  Seeing little kids involved and enjoying themselves and being willing to stand up and act something out is such a huge blessing.  It's still incredible to me how God uses these moments to teach me how to trust Him more.  


The verse Joshua 1:9 has encouraged me so many times, that I thought I should share it.  I have committed it to memory (really, it's not that hard to memorize something when you are frantically repeating it over and over again in your head =)  


That's my thought for the day.