The Nerve of Public Speaking

This morning I gave chapel at the kids’ school.
Let me tell you, kids are a tough crowd.
Groups of grown-ups have sort-of made up their minds about me as a speaker before I even start.
Some people in the audience are rooting for me. There’s also those in the group who are distracted or just don’t want to be there. Even if I was giving away free trips to Mexico. they wouldn’t care much about what I was saying.
But kids? Kids give everyone a shot. They are SO EXCITED to hear what I have to say. Their expectation of something great–as they widen their eyes and sit up on their knees–is unnerving.
What if they don’t understand my message? What if they don’t understand it because it doesn’t really make much sense? Or, what if they don’t really understand it because I have, like, sixteen different points?
As I got ready to give that message this morning, I remembered the great advice Vicar Ken shared in his sermon this Sunday. “It’s okay to have butterflies in your stomach when you’re speaking. Just get them to fly in formation.”
I prayed for the Holy Spirit to give me the right words for those expectant kids. I prayed the Holy Spirit would get those millions of butterflies to fly in formation to make a brilliant message that the kids would love.
Sure enough, God made all that happen and the kids liked the message.
At the end, Catie hugged me and said, “You looked SO NERVOUS! But I knew you would do a good job” and Sam said, “I didn’t hear everything you said because I was zipping up my jacket.”
So, there you go.
I guess that even kids fall into two camps: those who are with me and those who–no matter what–are just going to be distracted.