Public speaking.
Tell me that doesn't fill you with dread. OoooOOOooh. (that was a very loud sigh to get rid of all the tension)I have this writing class that I'm in--and it's pretty sweet. But at the end of the year (a.k.a. now), each of the students has to give a presentation of his/her portfolio....AAAhhhhhhhhHHHH!! (that was a shriek that revealed all of my freaked-out-ness at such an assignment)
3 minutes. 25 people - give or take a couple, I am terrible at estimating (that means FIFTY EYES!). Standing up there all by yourself. Knees shaking. Hands wobbling. Voice stuttering. Face burning.
Sound fun?!
Not on my life.
So this morning, I was feeling very stressed - don't laugh, I'm like that, I get stressed over the littlest things. I realized I just had to take it to God, so I was praying that I wouldn't be so nervous - and I felt this urge to open Exodus. I opened it, and my eyes caught here:
Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
Isn't that just insane?!
And it made me feel soooo much better, and my stress disappeared like...like...oh I don't know what it disappeared like, but believe me it disappeared! No butterflies, no sweat, no weak-knees - nothing!
I practiced and practiced and practiced and practiced and you get the picture - so I was prepared.
And I don't think I did so bad.
I mean, honestly, I could have been better. I talked a bit fast at the beginning before catching myself and slowing down - and I admit, when I got up there and felt all those eyes, my stomach did jump around a bit, but I remembered that verse (and Brian Reagan - we've been watching a lot of him lately, and he was totally comfortable cracking jokes in front of thousands of people - so I figured if he could do that, I could do 25 people). I did fine...I think. I hope. ^_^
And you won't believe it! I only mispronounced one word! Stupid "blithe". Doesn't that word look like "blih-the", how was I supposed to know it was "bly-thhh"?
Anyways, I am so relieved THAT is over.
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12 replies:
That's awesome. Reminds me of a time that I was really struggling with my faith, and I was in a lot of pain. I was just crying out to God--I needed someone to be there, I needed God; my Rock and stronghold.
I prayed, "Lord, give me a verse. Please God, Oh God, please give me a verse."
And I opened it up to "Cast your burdens on the Lord and He will sustain you."
How great is our God?
--Hannah
Struggling, meaning, I was stumbling on my path.
HIS path, excuse me.
Okay, I'm done spamming your blog with comments. ;-)
I love it! I needed that so badly today! I've been stressing about something I have to do that's simmilar...so thank you for posting it. God is so good and so big and He can help us do anything...even public speaking! :D
Nice job on your presentation, you were a little fast, but other than that awesome.
Yaaaay Bekah! God works in us in such amazing ways, doesn't He? I haven't ever had to speak in public, but the idea of it scares me TO DEATH. I also get stressed out by little tiny things--my family's always slapping me for it, because it gets me all messed up. lol. :P Anyway, opening the word ALWAYS helps. It really is living, which is just miraculous to me!
Have a lovely day, Bekah dearest.
--Ab
I used to get totally freaked out about public speaking, but now i dont really. Yesterday in english we had to do these like on the spot speaches.So my english teacher gave each of us a index card that said somthing on it and then gavve us a minute to think about what we were going to say in front of the class. So it was my turn and my topic was, I was a ant and i was trying to convince a anteater not to eat me. So i went on pleading for the anteater not to eat me and we had to be up there for a minute and i had only used up like 30 seconds so my teacher asked me what the anteater should eat instead, and i said grass, because that was the first thing that popped into my head. Then she asked me were the anteater would get his protien so i yelled out peanutbutter. It just popped out of my mouth.. hahaha. SO the whole class started laughing and well yeah, there is my story for the day. Great Post B.T.W. :)
See you tonight!
It's pronounced Blith?! I thought it was pronounced Bl-I-The. Weird.
That is awesome! God is incredible like that!
Oh, FYI I tagged you. Check my blog.
It's so amazing when the Lord lets you read just what you needed to hear! And I'm sure you did great on your presentation. :) Thanks, as always, for sharing the neat things God does for you!
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