When I tell my children of my shyness and how painfully unsure of myself I was during my childhood and early adult years, they question if I am being truthful. The story sounds made up, to them. But it is true.

I spent most of my first twenty-some years quietly looking around, unsure of myself and the world. I preferred to watch people, instead of participate; listen to people, instead of talk.

I tried to avoid situations where I needed to talk in front of others and where I felt under the spotlight.

I hated being asked something I wasn’t sure of. When asked a question, my mind usually went blank, then churned like a slot machine circling madly to land on the correct answer. Didn’t all questions have a right and wrong answer? I was terribly afraid of choosing the wrong one.

With this established track record of silence, who knows why during my last half year of graduate school I listened to my friend who recommended that I pursue a job as an English instructor.

Why it never dawned on me that being a teacher required one to stand in front of a class and talk, I am not entirely sure.

Getting dressed for my first night of teaching at a local college I was scared out of my wits. I wasn’t sure I would have any sweat still left inside of me by the time I arrived.

Remembering the vote of confidence from my friend, I grabbed my notes, and out the door I headed. “You can do this,” her words assured

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. 1 Timothy 1:7 Share on X

Talk about an adrenalin surge…intense nervousness…a cracking voice…sensations of nausea…feelings of being an alien on exhibit. I experienced it all within the first 10 minutes of entering the classroom. I still had 100 minutes left.

Halfway through explaining the syllabus, a grandmotherly woman raised her hand and asked my age. This caused a pretty good titter to circulate through the students.

Shock ran through me. My mind drained of all rational thoughts, and I wondered if now was the time to fake a heart attack. I finally stammered that I had lived long enough to finish graduate school and obtain the credentials to teach this class, and as for my age, that did not matter any more than her age mattered. Luckily, she thought this was fair enough and no further questions followed.

After what seemed like a few years, my first class ended. I was drained and tired, and learning that teaching was not for the faint of heart. It was much harder than it looked. Driving home I doubted myself and felt like quitting.

So, I called my friend. She sympathized. We laughed. She Encouraged.

She built up my faith and reminded me that God was in the classroom with me.

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”~I Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)

Slowly teaching became easier. My confidence grew and my shyness lessened. I began to think faster on my feet and questions didn’t shut me down. I learned to relax, flow with things, and my communications skills improved. Gradually, I began to experiment with some humor and even joke with the students.

Gradually the actress within me emerged center stage and I thrived on teaching. I enjoyed days when I captured my audience’s attention and saw the cobwebs clear from their brains. Learning and growth took place for both of us.

I saw how God used me to encourage and mentor some of the students. How he expanded my personality, gave me confidence, and knocked down the perceptions I had of myself.

Now, years later the benefits of teaching still reverberate in my daily life. I am still looking around at the world, but I am seeing life differently and participating more.

Sometimes all we need is a friend who believes in us, encourages us, prays for us, and pushes us to do something outside of our comfort zone. Something that confronts and changes our view of self and the world…and in the process transforms us.

We were never created to be wallflowers. We were never created to hide. We were #MadeForBrave! Share on X

How has a friend’s prompting or encouragement challenged you out of shyness?

How did God meet you in the midst of stepping outside of your comfort zone?

In what ways are you more confident today?

Theresa likes to laugh about life and ponder God’s sense of humor. A timid child who thought she would pass out if she had to read aloud or talk in school, she shocked herself when she started teaching college English, publishing articles and speaking. Her passion is to encourage women to remember what’s important.

She blogs at TheresaBoedeker.com

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Sisters, we are called to walk the way of hope instead of the way of defeat. We must claim more than our title of “Daughter of the King.” We must step up and also claim our position.

And we must claim these together. As a sisterhood; a sisterhood of brave women who stand strong in the promises of who God is and who we are.

We all are Made for Brave.
We are made to live for something authentic and brave.
In living brave, we silence the past, transform the future, and take a front row seat to God’s wild and uncontainable love!

So, I’m inviting you to join this Made for Brave Sisterhood, each Monday as we share our stories and allow God to bring hope and healing. Let’s commit to being authentic and brave, one step at a time, side by side, holding each other up and nudging each other toward our true selves. And let’s claim the victory waiting on the other side of brave; for ourselves and our sisterhood.

Let’s celebrate our tears and our struggles as we peel away the layers of fear to reveal the beauty of brave.

Let’s risk everything that brave requires for everything that brave has to offer…

Becoming who we were created to be!

In living brave, we silence the past, transform the future, and take a front row seat to God’s wild and uncontainable love! #MadeforBrave #Hope Share on X

Do you have a Made for Brave story to share? Get the writing guidelines and submit your stories HERE!