nervous, for nothing ...

I had been nervously anticipating this morning at 10am for months. I had been asked to speak to the men in the Central Oregon Teen Challenge program back in August. Anyone that knows me knows I am no stranger to speaking to groups and at events, but this time was different. 1) It was for a purpose greater than myself and 2) I would be speaking to men with whom I shared nothing in common; I haven't been in jail or had addictions to drugs or alcohol. And yet, as my outline became clearer, I realized I did share something with them ... a love for Jesus. And there it was - my topic. 10am has since come and gone, but what a blessing that 60 minutes was for me. It was in my insecurity that He shined brightest; it was in my nervousness that He calmed me and it was in my lack of preaching experience that He helped form what I would say. I received an email this afternoon from the director of the program saying, "One student said he got more from you today than he has in years." I say, to God be the glory.