After weeks of writing, editing, stressing, etc. I found myself sitting at at table with a bunch of women - some that I knew and some that I didn't. They were all eating and laughing, and having a great time. I was doing my best to not throw up!
And of course - I was slated to be the first to go. So when my time came, I stood up (shaking) and climbed the stairs onto the stage. As soon as my foot hit the top step I was completely calm. It suddenly became fun and I was totally at ease. I told my story, improvising and ad-libbing like I had done it a million times. The audience laughed, they seemed to enjoy what I shared. It was an amazing experience.
Not long afterward, I was approached by one of the members of the leadership team of the weekly bible study I attend. They were wondering if I was interested in becoming part of the lecturing team. I brought the idea home, thinking I would have to decline. (I have a tendency to over commit to lots of stuff - but I'm getting much better at picking and choosing!) But my husband was completely on board with me joining the team!
During the summer when the team met we looked at what the weekly topics were for the year and chose the topics that looked interesting to each of us. I chose a lesson called "Joy in Serving Others." It was based on a small section of Philippians (2:19-30), in which Paul speaks about Timothy and Epaphroditus.
I was supposed to write enough to fill between 20 - 30 minutes. My first draft was almost one hour long! After some serious editing, I was able to get it to about 25 minutes. It was definitely a LOT of work and studying, but it was so worth it. I have a whole new appreciation for that section of Scripture, that's for sure!
Delivering the talk was a little more intimidating than just sharing a story, but I did it and, again, I totally loved it! I only signed up for one lecture this year. Next year I hope to sign up for 2 - maybe even 3.
If you're interested in hearing how it came out, check it out. Click on LAUNCH MEDIA PLAYER. It will bring up a list. Look for the podcast from 2/24/2015, called Lesson 7: Why We Do What We Do.