Potential...

As a kid, I appreciated someone approaching me and saying "I see potential in you". I'm not sure what about the statement that touched me... was it that someone had observed my present and seen those hidden traits that could prosper in the future? Or was it the simple "I believe in you" that is silently weaved throughout the previous statement. Regardless of the route that they arrived at the thought, I thrived on those types of statements. And I remember them. I remember a friend who called me out for service. I remember a mentor who challenged me with a goal. I even remember my mother giving me a tour of a beautiful home of a mutual friend, telling me that she thought I would have a home like that one day...

As an adult, you just don't think that those types of situations will come along any longer. There's no one looking to make you a better person, doling out opportunities and encouragement for greatness. As an adult, unless your in a highly trainable work situation, never do these situations happen.

So, I am pleased to say that as an adult, I've had one of those rare opportunities. Several weeks, ago our Bible Study Leader, offered a chance for any of us ladies to teach Bible study one week to give her a break. I thought at the time that that might be fun, but I wasn't sure I could do it very well. Our Bible Study Leader is a retired school teacher and just does a wonderful job. So, my fleeting moment came and left as I compared my inability and lack of experience to her extraordinary teaching ability. Last week, our leader mentioned that she'd planned a vacation in a couple of weeks and she needed someone to teach the study. Our usual "fill-in" is out of the country visiting family and therefore she asked for someone to volunteer. I made a note of it in my binder and thought "ok, perhaps I should pray about this and consider it." That was on Tuesday. I closed my book after study and that was the last I thought about it. However, God had other plans. On Thursday, our leader called me. She called and specifically asked if I would lead Bible Study while she was gone. She went on to say that she thought I could relate to many of the women in our group (as many of us are in that transition part of our lives... young kids, busy husbands, discipling, etc) and she "saw the potential" of me leading my own group one day. WOW! I'd never thought of that. I decided to take her up on her offer and "challenge" myself to something new. And I figured, that God didn't need to speak much louder on the issue, unless he wanted to appear in front of me. :) I took her call as a clear sign that God wanted to stretch me a bit.

So in 2 weeks, I'll be teaching a chapter of the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I'm pretty excited. And I'll let you know how it goes...

Who encourages you with your potential??