Call It Out.
Close your eyes and think with me for a moment.
(No, wait. Read the next paragraph, and then close your eyes and think with me for a moment.)
Think back to the person who first called out a gift you didn’t know you had. Maybe it was a middle school coach who knew you were a natural-born leader. Perhaps it was your first boss who put you in charge of a project you didn’t think you were ready for. It could have been a grandfather who simply said “I believe in you” in an otherwise-low moment.
Do you have your person? I have a few. My memory is flooded with the Bob Landhams and the Amy Griffiths and the Louise Bentleys of the world: the student pastor and the tenth grade English teacher and the freshman professor who told me things about myself that I couldn’t see about myself: you can lead this. You can write this. You should consider changing your major to this.
Bob has now retired. Dr. Bentley has now passed. Amy is in her (none of your business) year of teaching, still helping young minds to think and undoubtedly inspiring new generations of writers. But for all of them, the pebbles they threw in my pond some three and four decades ago are still having their ripple effects. I didn’t always take their advice, nor did I always believe every syllable. But there was enough conviction in them about me that a little of that conviction took root in me.
Here’s my point: we all have a Bob or Amy or Louise in our past. And we all play the role of a Bob or Amy or Louise in our present. There are people in your church and in your life who need you in their corner. There are people with gifts and skill sets that they don’t currently see for themselves.
There are people who need you to call it out of them.
Maybe you should close your eyes again and think of your person:
- The pew-dweller who has much to offer but feels like your polished organization couldn’t use them.
- The lobby-wanderer who already does the work of ten Guest Services volunteers, but doesn’t feel worthy to wear a name tag.
- The volunteer who is already seen as a leader by others on their team, but can’t possibly see it about themselves.
- The staff member who deals with self-doubt that they’re not measuring up to a job that they’re clearly capable for.
You want to build a legacy? Be the person who sees the legacy in others. Be bold enough to call it out of them. Be faithful enough to believe it on their behalf. Be kind enough to take the five seconds or five minutes to speak courage into their lives.
Someone called it out of you. Now it’s time to pay it forward.
[Jump to part two: Three Questions to Call Out Someone’s Gifts]
