Wendy Pope spent much of her life, much like most of us, trying to fix all the things in her life that seemed broken. She believed unless her fears were conquered, faults changed, failures corrected and frailties cured, that God couldn’t see her a valuable. How can God see me as worthwhile if I don’t see myself as worthwhile? She invested years in studying the Bible, and discovered God has a long history of using life situations to demonstrate how He values His children. All of God’s children are worthwhile and have great potential. It’s a grace to welcome Wendy to the farm’s front porch today…
In my day, I was an excellent pitcher. The mound and the plate were my dance floor. High and slow.
The ball would drop at the back-inside corner of the zone, the umpire would yell “Strike,” and the batter’s mouth would fall open in disbelief.
Those were glory days! I had all the confidence needed to play on a no-cut team—the church team, the team everyone makes regardless of their skill.
However, I couldn’t muster up enough confidence to try out for my school team. I had the skill and the experience but lacked the courage.
Not trying is one of my biggest regrets.
Softball wasn’t the end-all-be-all and would have never become a career, but the not trying fueled the fire of self-doubt.
Oh, what I would say if I could go back and talk to younger me!
Softball tryouts were the first of many things I didn’t attempt. School leadership teams. School cheerleading. School dramas, which I totally would have rocked, because I can do some drama, friends!
I remember when I finally got the courage to try out for the church ensemble. My confidence was getting stronger. I was older, growing in the Lord and had been asked to sing church solos for the Sunday-night and Wednesday-night services, so I thought it was time to take the risk.
My fifty-year-old brain can’t recall what song I selected for my audition, but I remember times of putting the cassette (for those who aren’t familiar, a cassette was a small plastic device that played recorded music off magnetic tape) in my player, pressing play, and singing into my hairbrush.
The cassette went with me in my car too. As I drove, I belted out the tune like I was center stage in a coliseum full of hundreds of people who had paid to see me perform.
Doug was the sound guy at our church, and he was kind enough to meet me one evening so I could rehearse on stage with the real mic. Oh, I was ready. I was gonna rock this audition and be part of the “elite” young ensemble.
Audition night came. Audition night passed. I was not selected. And all of you girls say, “Awwww.” (Emphasize it with a big southern drawl for effect, please.)
In hindsight, the real misfortune wasn’t getting passed over for the ensemble.
The worst part of the experience was allowing Satan, the enemy, to keep his foothold in my thought life.
He taunted me for years, each time I entertained the notion of trying for something.
He would roll out the scripts. You aren’t good enough. You don’t have the look. If you were in the “in group” you would have made the ensemble. Never try for anything again. It’s better just to accept that you aren’t good enough, and then you don’t ever have to risk crushed confidence and dashed hopes again.
Have you heard such things from the father of lies (John 8:44)?
He doesn’t want us to enjoy the freedom Jesus died to give or to live out the plan God has for us.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).
We are a worthwhile possibility to God; He has a lot invested in our future.
God chose you and me for a good work.
Current me would say to child me, Go for it!
Making it or not making it doesn’t make you.
God’s plan for you is greater than the ball team, the cheerleading squad, or the church ensemble.
He will use everything; every fear, fault, failure and frailty for your good.
He is trust worthy and only has the best planned for you.
Wendy Pope lives in North Carolina with her husband Scott. They have two grown children who are following God’s calling for their lives. Wendy writes and speaks for Proverbs 31 Ministries. She the author of Hidden Potential: Revealing What God Can Do Through You, Yes, No and Maybe: Living With the God of Immeasurably More and Wait and See: Finding Peace in God’s Pause and Plans. She leads women to life change through her online study, Read Thru the Word, a study of the One Year Chronological Bible.
Fears. Faults. Failures. Frailties. Every woman at some point wonders, Do I have to get past all my weaknesses before God can use me?
Wendy is happy to tell readers: No! You don’t have to overcome, correct, rise above, or get strong before you are qualified to be part of God’s plan. He can use you right now. You are a worthwhile possibility. In Hidden Potential, readers see that they can be: faithful, even in fear, included in God’s plans, even in weaknesses, worth something, even in failure, and valuable, even in pain. Wendy explores the life of a fearful murderer on the run with a speech problem and daddy issues—also known as Moses—to show readers God’s power and grace. As she writes, God will never count anyone out as long as they count themselves as His children.
[ Our humble thanks to David C. Cook for their partnership with today’s devotion ]
