What are You Good At?
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
God will not waste your training.
When I left television in 1999, after almost twenty years in the business, I felt like I had my fill. I was tired of the odd hours, the neurosis caused by ratings, and the politics. But it was a craft I knew backwards and forwards. Producing television sportscasts and short television reports were daily tasks that became almost effortless, except when thousands of scores poured in on Saturday night!
For about five years, post television, I couldn’t watch sporting events anymore because late in the game, the angst would build up as my mind and body still prepared to go into the locker room for post game interviews. I had to “detox” before I could become a fan again.
So when God called me back to the media a few years ago, I knew it was His desire, not mine. First, He led me to radio, as our A Time to Dream show was birthed. A Time to Dream, a show featuring people’s faith stories, is now in its third year of production. When the Lord began to lure me to radio, I told him boldly, “If you want me to go back to the media through radio, you’re going to have to drop an opportunity in my lap.”
And He did.
More recently, God gave me a desire to do video blogs. Instead of sports reports, I could do short vignettes about what God is teaching me. I knew how to edit audio, and used to know how to edit video but the technology had changed dramatically. So I asked for a tripod and video camera last Christmas. Using Youtube tutorials, I tried to teach myself how to edit digitally but kept failing miserably. I had offers from people to train me in editing, but could never take the time. Once again, I said to my heavenly Father, if you want me to do “vlogs” will you provide what I need?
This past week, while my son drove us for long hours through Montana and Wyoming, I began to play with my imovie app on my phone. Could I really edit a video on my phone? The screen is so small. Wow! There’s a microphone to record a voiceover. It turned out to be easier than I thought and by the end of the trip, I had written and edited my first video blog.
Here’s what I learned. When God places a call on your life, he will provide everything you need. “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). He will never waste the natural abilities and skills that He’s instilled in you. He’s trained you for His purpose and mission.
What do you already know?
What comes naturally to you?
Ask God how he wants to use your giftedness for His glory. You’ll receive a holy download of all the tools needed to make His desire for your life a reality.
And it will be easy.