Article June 7, 1999 Issue

Over come fear of public speaking

How childlikeness broke through fear

By Kathryn Johnson

I FELT A GENTLE nudge and heard my six-year-old daughter quietly whisper: "You can get up, Mommy. You can get up now." Then, ever so quietly, she reminded me of some of the things I could share with the congregation that evening at our church's weekly testimony meeting. It was not the first Wednesday evening, nor was it the last, when my children would encourage me to stand up and testify to the good going on in our lives.

Still, in spite of their loving encouragement, I was glued to my seat—afraid to get up. A longtime fear of speaking in front of a crowd, based on past experiences, seemed deeply rooted. There was also the fear of not being able to express my point clearly or correctly and of being criticized. I would berate myself and lament that even my first and second-graders could get up and speak. In fact, my first-grader usually came to the service with something prepared to share with the congregation! I noted how innocent they were, and how eager to praise God—to bring Him wholeheartedly into their lives. They had been attending the Christian Science Sunday School for less than a year and already had surpassed me in their confidence in God's presence and power. Their willingness to turn to God in every situation was a marvel to me.

As I look on these times, I have been able to determine the fears that held me back, as well as the innate, childlike (Godlike, actually) spiritual qualities that impelled the children to progress so rapidly in their understanding of God as protector, provider, Father, and Mother.

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