Ah, the joys of summer! Backyard BBQs, hide-and-seek in the dark, camping trips and softball. Growing up, no summer was really complete without softball. I have great memories of playing catch in the front yard, city league teams which my dad coached, and playing shortstop in the cool summer nights. None of those memories, though, could ever surpass that feeling of hitting a line drive right down third base line. It was the type of hit you could tell was great just by its feel and the way it came off the bat. You had connected with the ball perfectly, right on the bat’s sweet spot.
Although those memories are thirty years old, and I’m now the one coaching my daughters’ teams, I still am experiencing that sweet spot. But this time, it has nothing to do with softball.
How many times have you done something and walked away more energized than you started….ready and wanting to do it all over again….joyful and blessed that you have such amazing opportunities to do what you love? Isn’t that your sweet spot in life? Some may call it your gifting, or calling or even your purpose in life. But no matter what you might call it, it’s that thing that whenever you do it, you think, “THIS is what I was created for!”
Over the past year, I have begun discovering and living in my sweet spot. For me, there is nothing more exciting or fulfilling than speaking and writing. There is no greater joy than engaging with audiences through the written or spoken word, touching hearts with the Gospel, sharing my story, and challenging individuals.
But, it seems I’m still searching for my “audience”. A few months ago I tweeted, “Ever feel like you’ve been given much to say, but just haven’t found your audience yet? Yea, me too.” When you place those two pieces together – speaking and writing and having an audience – you form my complete dream. I dream of speaking and writing to audiences near and far, old and young, Christ-followers and seekers, joyful and discouraged. I dream of God using me in mighty ways to help impact lives for eternity.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a community to get someone started. Every individual who has ever impacted hearts and lives, who has ever succeeded, who has ever lived out their dream, had individuals taking chances on them and giving them opportunities. Normally my blog posts are oriented more toward you, the reader. But tonight, I’m going to focus on me for a minute. I’d like to ask a favor, knowing that each of you are part of “my audience” and that your friends and acquaintances are my “potential audience”. In fact, those you know may be the lives waiting to be impacted with words He’s given me to speak and write.
So along those lines, can I ask each of you a quick favor? Please consider these different ways you could help me find my audience…
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* And finally, I’ll end with the one that takes the most courage and initiative. Would you arrange for me to speak at your event, please? Perhaps it’s a weekend gathering/service, Mother-Daughter tea, a weekend retreat, a fall kick-off event, conference or a Christmas outreach. Maybe the event is through your church, mom’s group, para-church ministry or non-profit organization. I know the old adage that one rarely hires an “unknown” to speak. But even Beth Moore and Patsy Clairmont started out as unknowns years ago! I would be happy to send you a DVD of recent messages I’ve preached at our weekly church gatherings at The Bridge. You can request that DVD and read recommendations and endorsements at www.KristenMarble.com/speaking. If you aren’t in a position to hire a speaker, would you please pass on my information to someone who is?
And as you consider ways you can help my dream come true, I pray that you too will discover and embrace the sweet spot of your own life. I challenge you to pursue that which energizes you, so that when you hear the crack of the bat of life, you’ll know you too connected perfectly!
A version of tonight’s post was first featured in Paul Steinbrueck’s Live Intentionally blog on Friday, March 25, 2011.
