In I Like Me Anyway, Brooke Romney shares that she was asked to speak at Time Out for Women. She felt shocked and humbled. As she prepared her talk, she felt an outpouring of the Spirit. She felt certain she was sharing the message that God wanted her to share. She had prayed and fasted and prepared and practice and she was ready.
Then she arrived at TOFW and met the others she would be presenting with. They were talented. They were spiritual giants. They were well known and revered and influential. But she pushed through her insecurities because she felt sure God wanted her to share her message. But then as she sat in TOFW and listened to the others present, she felt certain she didn't compare to them. They were authors and scriptorians and she didn't measure up. She began to think, "What am I doing here? I don't belong here.I can't make a difference to these women who came seeking inspiration and revelation!" She was the last speaker of the day and her doubts got worse and worse. She began to feel ill. Then another presenter leaned over in the middle of someone else's talk and said, "Just be yourself. That is why they asked you to be here."
Brooke Romney writes, "Those two sentences changed everything for me. I could be myself. I could be the best, most authentic, faithful, prepared and loving version of myself, and I could share the message God had whispered to me. My fear and doubt left me...I didn't give a flawless performance or get a standing ovation, but I know I touched hearts that snowy February afternoon, and I realized that even when I doubt my own worth, God doesn't." (page 43)
LESSONS LEARNED:
Be yourself! What you have to offer is what God wants you to give!
God is mindful of you and believes in you, even when you doubt yourself.
Each of us have an important message to share with others.
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