I want to remind us how important it is to have goals -- speaking goals. I love goals. Some people say don't have goals, don't write goals, but what does the Lord God say regarding goals? Habakkuk 2:2/3 talks about writing down the vision and it will come. When you are in line and aligned to what God has for you, you're directly in His line of vision for your life.
It doesn't matter if you are not a "professional" speaker yet, get ready for any opportunity that God places in front of you. When that opportunity comes — because it will come eventually as you continue to work on yourself, you'll be equipped for your Next. The opportunities will be ready because the student is ready. They will be waiting for you.
Things haven’t happened yet?
Don't feel bad if you are in the wilderness, just know you are planting roots and they’re being entrenched in the ground. In the neighborhood I used to live in, there was this ugly little tree (it looked like a bush) and it was just the most unattractive little tree. I would ask myself, why would anybody plant such an ugly tree? But, it's all in the eye of the beholder, right? All subjective. Perhaps other people thought it was really beautiful, or maybe there was something about the tree I didn’t know. Every now and then I would see one of those trees cut down all the way to the bottom, and I would often wonder why was it still there? Why wasn’t it cut all the way down to nothing? Why could I still see the stump? And one day I asked someone why that little tree was never pulled up? And the answer was because the roots go under the house, they go too far and too wide. If they were pulled up, the house would be too. You’re planting roots too. Remember you're beautiful and so was that tree in it’s own unique way. Your story and message matters, so get it out there. Just start on a steady foundation of Jesus with what you've been through. Then start making some content regarding it. James 2:17 says faith without works is dead. You must start.
Today we live in a digital landscape. Are you making your digital stamp? You can with the right goals and priorities that will enable you to speak on stage with deep beautiful roots that go far and wide and will be hard to pull up.