The Devotional Talk

I spoke at the weekly devotional at BYU-Idaho this past week.  (See the 3rd tab near the top of this page.)

Back in August when I was asked if I would speak this semester, I agreed, not knowing how much it would occupy my attention for several weeks.  I was not given a topic, but was told to share “my story.”  I was also told to not make it all about me but to give something that would bless students and make the talk more relatable to by the larger group.  Further, I was encouraged to use media to make it more engaging, and to not simply give a doctrinal talk but to think outside the box.  As I prayerfully approached the assignment, it became obvious what  my story is.

I started posting on Imperfect Guy in March of 2015, and have told my story through these monthly blog posts.  So I began reading through them to pull what I thought might be most helpful and started putting it together.  I had a limit of 3,000 words or about 20 minutes.  So as I narrowed it down, I prayed that I’d be guided to include the content that would benefit others.

The scriptures, books, quotes, pictures, and conference talks I referred to have been significant in my growth.

The list of 70 that I showed might seem overly long.  If I’d had time to choose one more for the talk, it would have been Counseling / Therapy.  It’s a huge area that’s so often overlooked because of the stigma associated with needing to see a “shrink.”

In my efforts to feel God’s love, mindfulness and guided imagery have been powerful, so I decided to add that at the end.  Dr. Gary Weaver calls it “calling council.”  I figured it might be a little bit unconventional, but hoped it would be effective.  (When I ask people to close their eyes and get comfortable in a dark room, it could be seen as a nice opportunity to take a short nap.)

Then I heard again a beautiful song with a message that fit the theme of the talk—Gentle, by Michael McLean.  Since I’m a singer, I thought I might sing that song at the end of the talk.  But we weren’t able to obtain permission to use the song.  And I thought it might draw more attention to me, instead of to the message.  Plus, it didn’t fit within the 20-minute guideline.

Preparing for and delivering the talk has been a tremendous learning experiences, which has brought me closer to God.

The talk wasn’t perfect . . . which is exactly the point.

(You can read or watch the devotional.  See the 3rd tab near the top of this page.)

To be continued . . . with Part 44