Had it Coming

So this past year I remember telling my mother that I think God was slowly preparing me to speak - my biggest fear. I started getting that sense back when I kept getting called on stage...one being blue man Group performance for 15 minutes, almost having to go up on stage in front of thousands at a christian concert tour, and then having to visit youth groups in another town to give a testimony in hopes to raise support for a homeless ministry I am involved with. This summer I took a summer internship, and after taking the job was suprised to find out I had to speak for 2 sunday services, something i've never done before (or wanted to do)  but I knew full well that the Lord had been slowly trying to get me to that point. I can't say that He didn't warn me. On Tuesday morning I woke up, and out of nowhere I remembered that there was a big chance I was supposed to be born without vocal chords for some reason or another. I thought about how my physical ability to speak was truely a gift from God and how I wasn't taking advantage of that. Instead, it has been a fear of mine, and I tried to avoid speaking in front of groups of people at all costs. So sure enough, that evening, I get a call from someone asking me to be the guest speaker for a Junior High FCA. Again, I had this coming for me. So of course I said yes and am asking the Lord to give me the words and to give me peace. To others this may be such an easy thing to stand in front of a bunch of people and talk for half an hour about your topic of choice, but for me it's not that case. I have never been one who desires to all eyes on me. For example, I leave town to celebrate my birthday because I don't like the attention. But I do know that this isn't about me. It's about planting a seed in the lives of students, sharing my experiences with God and what I know of Him. I do know that God has given me more than I deserve and has always always always been faithful to me. The least I can do is be obedient to the small task He is asking me to do. I have definitly noticed that as we follow the Lord, he brings us our of our comfort zones and builds our character. I've had to face so many fears, and overcome insecurities as I've walked with him. My friend Brandon told me once that he thinks that sometimes God's gifts and callings He places on our lives are the things we are most afraid of. I think that may be true. I don't know what the Lord has up his sleeve but I do know that I must be obedient in this. God won't fail our obedience.