Day 33: He Equips the Called

God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. How many times have you heard this one, or had someone quote Ephesians 10:2 to you? Usually it happens when someone is trying to convince you to “volunteer” to do something that you believe is not within your area of giftedness. We all know that we should only serve in those areas where God has gifted us, right?? Wrong!! Let me tell you how I learned that it is not impossible to serve effectively outside of the specific gifts God has given you IF you are willing to let Him put you in a place where you can learn how. I went to that place reluctantly, and God still blessed me in ways I could never have imagined.

About 22 years ago my family moved to Gaithersburg and began attending a small church close to our new home. We became very involved and were blessed to serve in several areas that were new to us, simply because the need was there and the numbers were few. At one point, my husband served as Sunday school director for both children and adults. One Sunday, when I had stayed home with a sick child, he returned with the sad news that the only teacher for the 1st – 3rd graders (no Child Protection policy in effect at that time!) had let him know that morning that he was going to have to stop teaching immediately because his wife had left him, and he did not feel that he should be teaching children under those circumstances. My husband had no idea who else could fill that spot on short notice because everyone who usually worked with children all ready had several jobs to do on Sunday mornings. Before he was even finished telling me about it, the words, “I can do it if Sherry (the 4th & 5th grade teacher) will show me how,” were out of my mouth. Where on earth did that come from? After all, I knew that my gifts are in the area of organization and administration, definitely not teaching children! While I loved my own children, I had never enjoyed my turn at “nursery duty” when they were preschoolers, and I had no idea how I would possibly survive an entire Sunday school hour with a group of elementary-aged kids. But once the words were out, I was committed. The very next Sunday I began observing a seasoned teacher, studying everything she did and said to keep the kids engaged and under control. With her patient guidance, it was not long before I was confidently and enthusiastically planning lessons and teaching with her, and we were soon back to having two children’s classes, with me as the teacher for the younger kids. Several years later the Lord led us to Greenridge, and within a few months I ended up back in a classroom, this time with a large group of energetic 1st and 2nd graders and my new friends, Mr. Don & Ms Linda.

The lesson here is this: yes, of course we should seek opportunities to serve in our areas of giftedness. But, with the Holy Spirit as our leader and someone to come along side as a mentor and guide, most of us can be taught how to serve outside these areas as well, and it can be an amazing, life-changing experience. To this day I still take what opportunities I have to learn how to work more effectively with children and, even though I still know that teaching children isn’t one of my primary gifts, I find that I am totally blessed every time I have a chance to be in a classroom filled with those little chairs.

~Sue Overbey