Tag: Potential

Shazam Your Potential

On October 18, 2019

What do you want to be for the rest of your life? Even typing the question gives me heart palpitations and brings back flashes of college tours, applications, and the dreaded selection of a major. There’s an urgency and finality to the inquiry that applies pressure. There’s an underlying fear we can miss our potential. But is that possible?

Yes and no.

My husband had his twenty-fifth high school reunion this past weekend, and several people mentioned in conversation that they still didn’t know what they wanted to be when they grew up. Did these people dodge the question, what do you want to be for the rest of your life? Did they choose incorrectly and are now looking for a do-over? Or did they outgrow their original answer and are now looking for the next level in the game of life?

It reminded me of the movie Shazam. Without ruining the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it, Shazam is about a boy who suddenly obtains superpowers. He, unfortunately, doesn’t know which superpowers he holds, so his buddy puts him through a series of hysterical tests to discover if he can fly, punch through concrete, shoot lasers with his eyes, or teleport. However, as the hero tries to figure out what he is capable of there is an antihero who is trying to stop him before he reaches his full potential.

Sound familiar?

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says, Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful: wise counsel, clear understanding, simple trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. All these gifts have a common origin but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what and when.

We all have giftings given to us by God. We’re each given different ones at different times. I can’t say if I would have made it as a writer twenty years ago. I had to develop some of my other giftings (like knowing who I am in Christ Jesus) before I could take on the next adventure. Also, like the characters in Shazam, we are our strongest when we use our powers together as a team: encouraging each other, praying for one another, and lifting each other up. We need our team around us because there is a bad guy, Satan, who is trying to keep us from utilizing our superpowers. He’ll do nothing short of lying, deceiving, and stealing to keep us from reaching our potential.

Can we miss out on our purpose? Unfortunately, yes. The devil has been around for a long time and is good at his job, but don’t fear. The one who is in us [the Holy Spirit] is greater than the one [the devil] who is in the world (1 John 4:4). We must not be afraid to test our superpowers. We must step out in faith to discover who God has made us to be so that we can fight for truth, justice, and people’s eternal souls.

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Throw Some Shade

By Lorri Dudley

On July 26, 2018

In Uncategorized

I’m height challenged. I’ve always gotten into trouble for climbing on countertops to reach items in the upper cabinets (which I still do.) At 5 feet 2 inches tall, most people tower above me including my 6’ 3” husband. Pictures of us are always interesting because the top of his head is usually cut off along or my chin. I wore platform shoes to my wedding so I could be in the wedding photos.

When my kids would walk with me in the evenings, I’d point to my elongated shadow and say, “I may be 5 foot 2, but on the inside, I’m 10 foot 4 inches tall.” I loved to watch their faces as they noticed how big their own shadows stretched. Eventually, they’d step on my shadow. I’d cry out as if they’d stepped on me, and it would morph into Peter Pan’s game of who can catch my shadow.

Even a small person can cast a large shadow.

9-year-old Tristin Saghin of Mesa, AZ performed CPR on his 2-year-old baby sister who’d been found unconscious in their pool according to ABCNews. He’d seen on TV how CPR was done and took action while his mother called 911. Also, Tregan Emmett (5) of Saratoga Spring, Utah spoke to the 911 dispatcher and helped the paramedics locate his home when his mother, who suffers from a heart condition, fell unconscious on the floor. He referred to himself as “Spiderman” and remained calm and collected when the rescue team had difficulty finding the house, enough to flash the outside lights to draw the ambulance driver’s attention as stated in Parenting Magazine.

God’s reach is never too short.

You may think you are ordinary, but David was a small boy with a slingshot when he defeated Goliath. You may think you’re a sinner, but Rahab was a prostitute who saved the Israelites. You may believe you’ve messed up, but Jacob stole his brother’s blessing, and still, God promised that from him would come kings and nations. You may think you’re a bad example, but God used Saul a Christian slayer to bring Christianity to the Gentiles.

If you are willing, God will use you too. Pray about it. Keep your eyes open for opportunities. Don’t let fear or excuses hold you back. For the One that is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Remember that you are even bigger than ten foot four on the inside. While we may focus on our shortcomings, God sees our potential.

Go ahead cast a big shadow. Throw some shade in a good way. There are others who need someone like you to lead them into greatness.

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.” – Isaiah 59:1

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Enjoy the Process – Potential in the Making

By Lorri Dudley

On November 30, 2017

In Uncategorized

I wouldn’t say I was a tomboy as a child, but I spent a lot of time building forts. My friend Alison had an old barn in her backyard, and there were a lot of old boards laying around. We borrowed a handsaw, hammer, and a couple handfuls of nails and dreamed up a plan to build a fort complete with a roof, windows, and a swinging door. I can’t remember now how we got the door to swing, but it did.

That summer we spent countless hours sawing and hammering. I can still remember the scent of the dusty old barn and fresh cut wood. I learned a great deal of carpentry skills like you need to be exact with your measurements, and how not to hit your thumb with a hammer. Alison and I talked, laughed and sweated, but mostly had a blast. After adding the finishing touch of painting our names in white on the door header, we stood back and admired our work.

I don’t think we played in it for longer than two minutes. Our carefully-constructed beautiful fort once built, became forgotten. For Alison and me, it was all about the fun of the building process. After that, we were off to the next project and adventure.

Life is about becoming, not being.

I’m still learning about the writing process. My bookshelf is chock full of books on how to write. I think I’ve read more books on how to write than I did to obtain my degree in psychology. There is always room to learn. If we stop learning, we stop growing. Learning about my passion is an enjoyable progression. There are times where it’s hard to bear the criticism of my trials and errors, but I know it will strengthen me in the long run.

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything,” (NIV).

I have to admit facing trials is a lot different than having fun building a fort one summer. Some of you may look at where you are and struggle to find any joy in your situation. The path it took to get you there might have been loaded with pain and heartache, but God is strengthening your faith so that you can grab hold of His righteous right hand, and let Him pull you out. Mark Batterson, author of The Circle Maker wrote, “We can’t have a testimony without being tested.” God is developing the maturity in you to persevere to the next level.

Find your joy in the trial by knowing you are potential in the making.

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