Coming Up Short, Finding Grace

Podcast Synopsis

In this episode of 2 Pastors, One Calling, Fr. Brian and Pastor Chris are joined by Christian Aquino for an honest conversation about something every Christian, leader, parent, and disciple experiences: the feeling of coming up short.

Together they explore perfectionism, fear of failure, anxiety about the future, and the temptation to define ourselves by our shortcomings. Through personal stories, ministry experiences, and reflections on Scripture, they discuss how God meets us not when we have everything together, but precisely in our weakness, uncertainty, and need.

The conversation also explores the importance of community, the power of listening, discovering our God-given strengths, and learning to trust God's character more than our own performance. Whether you're struggling with expectations, leadership pressures, or simply wondering if you're doing enough, this episode offers encouragement, hope, and a reminder that God's grace is greater than our shortcomings.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Well welcome back. Welcome back to another week, another episode of Two Patches One Calling. I'm I'm Father Brian. I'm here with Pastor Chris, and we have a great episode for you today. Today we're talking about, you know, we're really at a time of kind of a very personal issue, but one we all struggle with, you know, the idea of where do we feel like we're always coming up short. And on top of that, we actually have a guest with us today, too. And we have Kristen Aquina with us today as as a as a as a guest with us on this podcast. She's lending her expertise with us today and help us uh probably do a better job this week, be honest about it. Yeah, can you kind of kind of share your your story a little bit?

SPEAKER_03 0:41

Yeah, so um I grew up mostly in the Atlanta area, um, had kind of a stumbled into a calling um into youth ministry as I was getting ready to go to college. I got really involved in campus ministry and in college. Um my home parish is generous enough to give me an internship in youth ministry, and then that's kind of where I landed after school. Um nothing better than an athletic trainer going into youth ministry, right? You know, the all the times that kids put hands through windows and other crazy things. So um did youth ministry for about seven years in Atlanta and then moved to the Dayton area in 2016 and have been at churches and different places uh since and have been at Our Lady of Light for the last three years with Brian.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Yeah, we're we're very blessed to have her with the partners too. So well, good. So this this episode this week, again, where do you feel like we're can we're always coming up short? You know, I the first thing that comes to my mind is this it's like what why is this important to talk about? Because I think for me, you know, it's it's one of those a lot of times we're kind of scared to talk about our shortcomings, our faults, and our failings, but I think we start to realize that many other people out there struggle with this too. I think everybody struggles with this some aspect of coming up short somewhere. I think the problem is, in my opinion, is that we're afraid to talk about it. We're afraid it's a very vulnerable thing because we want to talk about our our wins, our joys, our hopes, all those great things. We don't want to talk about our struggles. We don't want to talk about the things that we we realize we're not doing very well, or we feel like that we just can't get past in our life. So, I mean, so what what would I mean how would you answer the question? Why is this important to talk about this week?

SPEAKER_02 2:16

Yeah, uh the first thing that kind of came up to my mind is like, how do we connect with God? And I think for a lot of people, we recognize that God's holy and it feels so distant, right? And so the idea would be that my performance, or like we've talked about in past episodes, like my conduct is gonna be what connects me to God. And so you and I, we all know that we're not good enough, right? Like we have what the Bible refers to as sin. It's constant disobedience in our life. And so this kind of performance thing, man. I know I don't want to talk about the reality that I'm not good enough. But we talked about this in past episodes. Again, it's not our conduct, it's his character. It's who God is that helps us connect with him. He is a gracious, forgiving, merciful, patient God. And so I think we have to talk about it because so many times the church gets a bad reputation of, oh man, those people just think they're holier than I am, they're just hypocrites, they just have it all together, and that's not our message, you know, but that may be how some people perceive it. So I'm I'm glad that you chose to challenge us to talk about this today.

SPEAKER_03 3:18

I think that perfectionism is such a big part of culture today, and it's such a a huge challenge. I mean, I know I certainly feel that. And I think if we as leaders in the church like share our own, it gives people permission to do the same. Um and and I come to know who God is in the midst of my weakness. I mean, Paul talks a lot about that. So I think it there's an element of like humility, moving myself out of the way, um, and then just being more attentive then to the way that God is at work through me.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

That's really good. I think I want it too. I think there's also an aspect of, you know, a lot of times we we see those those breaks, those fissures in who we are, and we think that they're only our faults, but that's also a place where actually God breaks into our life more. Because the healing that we need or the or the transformation, or even sometimes when when God helps us to see those things in our life, it's because he wants us to turn to him, trust in him, and allow him to heal and raise up. So I think so a lot of them, the more we talk about these things. I mean, I'm not saying to go out in the street corner and shout your struggles, yeah. But it is when you have those trusted people, when you have those people around you that you know you can talk to about, or you're or there's people around you that then that know you and realize, hey, you know, maybe he's he's having a tough day today, you know, so those type of things, there's then those people will also help you give that grace you need to.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

And I like what Kristen said about the as leaders, yeah, because everybody is some point is is a leader, right? Like you might have a mom might be listening right now, and she's like, Man, I know I'm not I'm coming up short as a mom, as a dad, as an employer, as whatever, as a coach. And I think leaders sometimes we're tempted to hide, like pretend like we don't, and if we're not careful, like we don't actually teach people how to respond when you come up short. Like, you know, it's kind of like one of my goals as a dad was to not teach my boys not to fail, because that's impossible, but how to respond when you fail. Right. You know, how do you how do you respond? And so to your point, Kristen, I think it's important even that we as church leaders are sharing this because everybody is in some kind of leadership role and feels that constantly.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

Well, I think the harder part too is like when you when you constantly see it, it's like I did it again, my lands. Or it's like, you know, wow, that was two weeks that I should I should I started two weeks ago and and and now I'm at the same point again, again and again and again. And I think that that's the that's part of it too, is like how do you break that cycle? Yeah, and and a lot of it has to have it. But of course, we built those bad habits up as well, and because we've built them up, it's become a part of who we are. And because a part of who we are, it just became then we accepted it for who we are. And I think part of the issue then is is like is is looking at ourselves and with that eye and going, yes, I'm fallen, yes, yes, you know, I've I make mistakes. But I learned a beautiful prayer last uh last November when I I took us I took a mini retreat because I needed a mini retreat around around Thanksgiving last year and just needed to get away and clear my head and all those things. And I uh this beautiful prayer that that someone taught me, that the priest that was there, he said, he said, this is the prayer you you need to pray. Lord, thank you, thank you for loving me the way that you do and the way that I am. Accepting me false words, all those things, knowing that I'm as you said before, professor Chris, it's it's it's God's conduct that's why we are sorry, his character is why we're loved, not built on our conduct. And he loves us because who we are, we're his children, not because we we you know we please him by our actions. Yeah. But still, but the problem though is is that we can also look to the future and see the issues that are going on with us now and the problems that could happen in the future, and how that can actually be more detrimental to us because we because of our problems, and that's what that's what's called perceived loss. You've heard the term before? Yeah, kind of yeah. Tell me more about it. Yeah, perceived loss is is is the idea that there's a there's a fear I have for the future. And although this this this fear has not yet come to pass, but I still think it's gonna happen. And now my my current state means that that I'm I'm I'm I'm now operating out of a sense of there's gonna be a problem in the future. Okay. And but now the problem is is like now, but now I'm I'm in my mind, I'm thinking it's gonna happen. So I now I have to plan for the problem in the future when it's not there. So it's so in in our in our own fallenness, we we see our struggles, then all of a sudden we look to the future and think, and then then we stop thinking that we can actually achieve something or get better or transform. And we're always gonna be this person who keeps falling in the same problem, same sin, whatever it might be. So, as leaders, then, how do we then deal with that possibility of perceived loss? That sense of the problem that could could arise, but not yet.

SPEAKER_03 8:03

I mean, I just keep hearing the word like anxiety. I mean, you've got enough people who are anxious about what could be, what couldn't be, whatever. Um, but I think the other piece of that then is fear, right? So more often than not, what stops me from moving forward in something is I feel like the fear of failure kind of goes back to like, I'm going to fall short in this thing. So I don't even try. I don't even take the risk, which I think heavens a lot too. Um you know, that's something I think we've seen in working in Parish stuff. Like you've been very gracious and like, well, let's let's take a risk, let's try something. There isn't this fear of, well, if I do come up short, okay, well, we tried it, right? It it's more that's not that whole like, you know, you strike out on everything you don't take or whatever. You know what I mean? So like there is a sense of of that, I think, for people. Um, somehow.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Yeah. And it is, I I was thinking anxiety as well. Because you're you're kind of a you know the whole term self-fulfilling prophecy. Like you think there's going to be a problem, and then you actually make decisions that create the problem that you thought that there was gonna be there, but they didn't have to be there. And so that's that could be really tough to figure out. But you know, when Jesus says obviously, you know, uh seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added on. That context is what? In the context of not worrying about tomorrow. Because tomorrow, which the longer you live, the more you realize uh tomorrow does have enough trouble of its own. And my dad used to say this growing up, he's like, 95% of the stuff we worry about doesn't even come to pass. You know, you're just same thing. And it's hard to solve a problem that's not there, to your point, but it's a perceived one. And so yeah, that can be very, very challenging because then you're coming up short uh not on reality, but just something that can pause you and and fear can run on you into the ground.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Well, and one of the things that I that I I really kind of one of the things I keep keep coming up short on all the time, and unfortunately it's part of my, it's part of just you know who I am, unfortunately. Um, you know, I always think everything is my fault. No matter what it is, I think everything's my fault. Yeah, you know, and I and I don't know it's because like how because of my childhood, whatever it might be. But for whatever reason, you know, whenever something goes wrong, or even if I like I see all someone's having a bad day over there, what did I do to that person? You know, unfortunately, that that is always in my head. And you know, and and I think the what and and it's like over time I've learned uh number one to understand, okay, there's more people in the world than you. You know, not that I'm some egotist or anything like that. But it but the problem is is that because you you you want to make sure everything is good, you want to make sure everything is done well and properly and run the proper way and stuff like that, you like there's a sense of control you want to have. And the problem becomes is like now that the the symptom of that is that well, if something happens, well then it's because I did something wrong, said something wrong, whatever it might be. You know, and I tell you, it's one of those things that where where that perceived loss of it all comes in going, as soon as I as soon as I walk across the parking lot into the office, I'm like, uh uh, what's gonna happen today?

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Yeah, and isn't it funny? Because this is what I know about you. Yeah, you're you struggle with that, but you would never be on the opposite end, where when something goes right, you don't take credit. You're assuming, oh, it went right because God did this or because other people sacrificed this. It's so funny how God, how we're all wired to this this reality of where we do come up short, you know. I mean, you mentioned Paul before, he says, While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He didn't like we didn't get our act together. It's like in our brokenness, Jesus still chose to pay the price and sacrifice for our sins.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

So I think that's true. I think it's it is that is that sense of of of you know the the the fact that we still who are who we are who we are, but yet God still loves us so much that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead. Yeah. And he loves us so much that he meets us where we're at in in those things. And then and be able to allow ourselves to feel that healing and that peace that we need to.

SPEAKER_03 11:50

And I think about like in John's Gospel at the end, right, where he they're they're afraid, they're locked in the upper room. I mean, we've just been reading this, right? And Jesus comes in, meets them where they are in their fear, in their disappointment, like we let you down, like we totally, you know, we left you, right? And what does he speak? Peace. Like that's the first thing he does is peace, and then he breathes on them, and then they're empowered and sent out, right? And so I think that is a huge piece for us, like in the moment of being short, don't lock Jesus out, right? Like, I mean, he's he's a gentle God in that like he's not gonna bust out. I mean, he could bust on a door and he might, like, you never know, but he's a gentle God, so like he's gonna be respectful of your decision. But it's like, don't wait to get your life together before you invite him in. He wants to be the one, he wants to be the divine house cleaner, for lack of a better word, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:37

So the only thing that that Jesus actually bursts down, if you will, in tradition is the gates of hell. Yeah, that's the only thing that so he so that that sin, that thing that keeps us from him, that's the thing that he will destroy.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

Yeah, yeah. So let me ask you guys this. So you you'd mentioned the main kind of theme of this episode is where do you feel like you're coming up short? So one thing the three of us get to do often is help people when they're in the ditch of life, let's say that things are not going well with marriage, family, finance, physical, it can be anything. And they make an appointment and they come and sit down and they're seeking godly counsel and advice. And so one of the things that I feel like I come up short with, and I'd love to hear how you guys handle it, is there's moments where what they're dealing with is so heavy, and I'm like, I don't know what you should do. And like, but I feel the weight of their coming, right? And I mean, it's not like they're expecting me to be God or have all the answers, but they expect at least one answer or an idea. So, how do you guys have one? You're laughing, so I'm assuming you've experienced that same thing, like and it's literally the I don't know what to do, I don't know what to tell you to do. So, how do you guys balance that in like maybe a counseling situation or just ministry in general?

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Yeah. Uh maybe hypothetical is better for this one.

unknown 13:56

That's fine.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

No, but I think I think that that I think number one, um yeah, I'll I'll cheat a little bit and I'll say that whenever I walk into a meeting, um, the first thing I I pray is Lord, give me the words you will need your people to hear. Amen. You know, and I think, you know, and then it's like give me give me the thoughts that I need, the words that I need, the heart that I need, that that I need to to love the people as in the persons in front of me. Yeah, you know, I don't want to say I've I'm afraid it all the time, but it's one of those things where it's like all of a sudden you just have to think, I really have no idea what to do, um, or what to say or what to think. Um, you know, and I I I can kind of get into that but uh kind of ask questions until I find something I can connect with. And so it could be someone if whatever they're coming in, coming in with, I was like, well, hey, we thought about this, have we thought about that? You know, because I'm trying in my mind, I'm trying to frame something that could help them somehow, or just even make them maybe even rethink what they're going through. And I think that's part of the issue too, is that is like a lot of times I find when I have an issue, I walk in, I think I know what the issue is. But when I start talking to somebody else, I realize, oh, wait a minute, no, that's not really that's not that's what I thought the issue was. That perceived aspect of it all, that perceived loss of it all, if you will, at the times. I thought that's what the issue was. And but no, this is this is the real issue over here. And so part of me is kind of going, let's get to the real issue here. What's it what is the real issue here? You know, yes, there's they may be struggling or suffering, or they they might have a whatever struggle it might be, but is that the real issue? That's good. Yeah, so that's my thought.

SPEAKER_03 15:29

Yeah, I mean, I for my end, I think I always lean into the prayer piece. Um more often than not, I feel like I have no idea why they're coming. Um, you know, I I think Lord, give me the eyes to see them as you see them is probably the biggest thing. Um, to have compassion. I I feel like that's something personally that I struggle with, that I'm not as compassionate as I could be in certain circumstances. Um or I want to jump into helper fix it mode, which I don't know if you know, as men, maybe you all fall into that. So um, but I I do think that's a huge more often than not, especially in a lot of my work with young people, they just want to know that there's somebody who's listening, right? And who's there with them in their corner and who can offer God's love. And then really it's just an invitation, hey, can we pray about this right now? And then trying to get better about, okay, what do you need from me, right? As opposed to me just jumping in and trying to save the day, save the situation, whatever. Um, really just kind of reframe it. What do you need from me in this moment? How can we as a community support you in what you're dealing with?

SPEAKER_02 16:36

That's awesome. And thank you for sharing that because I think that's probably the biggest thing I'm learning is she said the phrase, they just want to know that somebody's listening. And I think there's so many times in my own prayer life that I'm talking to God and he just lets me talk and he listens. And I wonder if sometimes we are that ambassador. And there is a power, empathetic listening or whatever word you want to use. And I think that's probably somewhere tied into this. We feel like we're coming up short, but maybe it's because that's where it opens up the door for God to use us in ways he wants to, versus our agenda of like, I want to say the right thing.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

And God's like, Well, I don't want you to say the right thing.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Like, I want you to be there, you know. It gets back to expectations. I mean, am I overlaying my expectation onto this meeting? You know, that's a good thing. And then instead of allowing the expectation that you're talking about to come to me. You know, and like that, I like how you said, like, you know, what can what can we do for you? Because like it takes the it's not takes the onus off us, but it was it what it does do allows us to listen to the person and allow them to articulate what their needs are.

SPEAKER_04 17:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

You know, and so I think and you know, I think one of the things where it's like how how many times have I overlaid my expectations on something and missed what actually was going on? Because in my mind, this is what how it should be or what should happen. Yeah. I mean, so I mean where where where have you kind of seen those things too? Where we're like, where how have you learned uh to to to meet people where they're at in those moments?

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Yeah, yeah, I I do like what you're saying, the expectation, like, and again, I would say learning, not learned, because I'm still struggling with this, is their listening is actually helpful. Uh which I know you two may be like, duh, but that's fairly new for me because I I feel like, well, it's probably the guide part where I'm like fix it mode. I'm like, you know, my car's broken down. I can't just listen to you. I'm like, okay, your car's broken down, let's go through problem solving. But there's power in that listening. And uh, I'm not saying it's somebody who has fully grasped that, but I'm learning that that is just so powerful. And I like what you're saying, where they it's maybe because sometimes I'm expecting, I'm pressing my own expectation. They're expecting me to say something profound when they're like, No, I expected you to cry with me. Right. That's what I expected. I'm like, oh, yeah, because I can weep, you know, like I can cry, but yeah, you know, so that's helpful. Thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

I just remember going one day, my chaplaincy at the VA Hospital Cincinnati and seminary. I remember um Bill with our the person we moderated our our our uh CPE. He had says, because remember this they will never remember a word you say unless you say something stupid. They'll remember the rest of their lives. I always remember that. It's like sometimes it's like, don't say something stupid, you know? It's like that's that's the bar for me right there.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

It's pretty good right there. This whole episode is worth that one. That's good advice across the board for everything.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Yeah, yeah. So topic, so we we've caught we've talked about a little bit already. It's like, you know, understanding what our strengths are, understanding our weaknesses are, you know, and again, not we have to go yell our weaknesses out to the world, but how do we build upon those strengths of ours that that you know that God has given to us to fulfill preaching the gospel he wants us to fulfill? So, how have you understood how to build on those strengths of yours to preach the gospel? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:03

Well, one thing I appreciate that both of y'all, your parishes, now two parishes is one or whatever, does really well is reflects the body of Christ image. So, in other words, it's like not one person on your entire staff can do everything. Like it's this interdependency and it's this recognition and acknowledgement and celebration of the strengths. But in order to do that, you have to be like, oh, I'm not good at administration. This person is clearly gifted. So in humility, are we able to recognize that strength, or do I have to spend, and I don't know if you were suggesting this, sometimes we'll spend years working on a weakness that's never going to get much stronger. It's like, you know, if I'm not a three-point guy, there's I just need to stay away from that you know, zone. Yeah. Yeah, exactly right. So it is in humility, everybody kind of talking, and I know you guys do this as a team, and we try to as well. Like, what are the strengths? And sometimes something will come up and there's something that needs to be done, and we all just kind of look at that person who has that strength and humility, say, how can we support you in your function and in your role? So that would be one of the biggest things I think about. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:13

I think too with strength too. I think again, I think I think it's it's there's a humility to humility, humility to it as well as well. Because I think that that being okay with who you are and being okay with your strengths are, and being okay with other people's strengths too. Because I think that that um again, the this this overlaying of perceptions at times is that um how are people looking at me, how are people see people seeing me, or sometimes going, am I expecting myself more than what people are expecting out of me? You know, and I and I think that that sometimes building on those strengths just reminds us to then all I can do is this, and that's okay. Nothing wrong with that. Even though sometimes you you feel like you have to be up here to be at a 10, we're only be as a is a six, it's not a negative thing, but we're We we we don't need to be a ten at all times. We can be we can be somewhere else on that on that spectrum because that's what we're needed to be at that time. And I think, you know, and th I think part of as leaders though, is is people in ministry, sometimes when we lead a lot of things, people expect us to be the rock stars. And people and then and that becomes the expectation in our minds. That then that all becomes a detriment of that perceived loss. What happens like if you don't see that anymore? What happens if I don't become the rock star? What if I don't fulfill this night? Or if my hometown come off as well as I thought it should go. Right. I mean, then that becomes the problem too.

SPEAKER_03 22:33

I mean, I think those are I was reflecting on again the coming up short piece, like and the lie that at least I like hear all the time is like you're not doing enough for like God's kingdom. And so it becomes a place of like, okay, so where am I putting my time? Like, because I like in if I'm like really reflecting on this, I feel like I'm coming up short in my prayer right now. Like I could spend significantly more time in prayer. Um and that's what's crazy to me is like considering how little I feel like I am putting into prayer, God still shows up, like he's moving all this stuff, right? But like, how do I then like think about okay, where do I do a better job of like committing to prayer, committing to the team that I'm supposed like responsible for, right? Like and pouring into those people. Um and then I think one of the greatest gifts that I've kind of come across in the last few years is we have a tool called Calling Gifted, and it takes you through gifts discernment from the spirit, right? And so it comes to this place of like, okay, like I tested the gift of teaching for like eight weeks, and I was like, not a supernatural gifting. That's okay, like it's great. Like I enjoy teaching and I and I do that in context of ministry, and but that's not a supernatural gifting for me, right? But God has given me a supernatural gifting of hospitality to make people feel welcome and at home, and so there's other places, and it's it's opened my eyes to to be like, gosh, it's so beautiful that God has gifted so many different people with so many different things. So to your point about how are we building the body of Christ, right? Then it comes back to I just need to be comfortable with who God made me as a Christian to be, right? Like I'm okay as my identity as a beloved daughter, and so I often think that a lot of our fear um that comes from coming up short in other, it's always identity crisis, right? Like I have lost the confidence of who I am as son or daughter, and then that causes me to spiral in other places. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

So yeah. It is it is amazing, isn't it? Like that like maybe that coming up short is not like when we're when you first asked the question, I was like, that feels negative to me. I'm a feeler, so I'm like, yeah, that feels negative. But in some ways, it's all it like we we say stuff like this where like following Jesus is a team sport. And but so many times in our culture it's all individualized, right? But when it really is a team sport, you'd never like go out and play football and you're by yourself versus 11 guys, right? You would naturally instantly be like, I don't even feel like I'm coming up short. It's unfair because I'm not I'm trying to play a game that's designed to have at least 11 people on the field.

SPEAKER_03 24:54

Faith is personal but not private. That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_02 24:57

And it's interdependent. So maybe this coming up short, it could be a holy and righteous feeling of like recognizing our need for interdependence.

SPEAKER_00 25:05

So as we finish off this episode, we have a few minutes left here. So we talked about you know how we're gonna come up short. We talked about, you know, the losses we perceive stuff we have in our heads, the problems we you know, the things that we could overlay in our things, but of all those things, using loser just before, is going, but what where is God still working and blessing despite all these things? So where do you see that happening within your ministry?

SPEAKER_03 25:34

I mean, we have seen like incredible fruit with like our our young people. I mean, really just like a tremendous growth in the last year. And you know, when I and people are like, well, why is that? Like it's the work you're doing. I'm like, no, I'm I'm actually convinced we we leaned into a particular prayer devotion last summer with our young people, and I'm just convinced that that's the response, right? Like when you just like go to the Lord and you uh really focus teen's attention on that, like they have the power to do incredible things. So it's it's been incredible to watch, yeah, like okay, Lord, I'm just gonna pray and offer this to you, and then like holy moly. But I I don't want to get to a place personally where I feel like, okay, okay, genie, God, show up, right? Like, I want to actually be going to God in relationship with him, right? And and allowing him to work through me and not me calling him down every time I need. Oh, bless this thing that I got going on, right? Like, I don't want it to be that either.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

So yeah. And one that I feel like is very regular in my life is probably the task of preaching, right? Because I would say there's plenty of times on my way driving here on a Sunday morning, I feel about 60% confident, which is not real. That's pretty good. That's you know, 60% is mess. Yeah, man. Uh, and it is funny, the ones, the messages that you feel like you brought nothing to the table, it's funny that God reminds you and he's like, I really don't need you, because I'm gonna do something outside of even what you said that's gonna be powerful. And so that's just almost like a constant reminder of you feel you're coming up short, but it doesn't really matter what you bring to the table. Like if you just bring your best and you offer and say, God, when you were talking earlier, I thought about like the talents, right? Some people have one talent, some people have two, three, five. But it's all about how you invest whatever you have and you just lay it down and let me do the music.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

Yeah, it it's always amazing to where um the other day I was, you know, had a little bit of prayer time and and I I I uh had a moment where I just said, you know, what I had a question in my head going, what what do you want me to do? And the answer was this I hear I I heard a head going, just let me. You know, and I think remember thinking that in the spite of all these things, what God just wants is you know, and then everything else flows from that. And you know, and and and you talk about how much the barrier too. Where I think that that you know, this just it's reminded me again and again and again of like the board just saying this line. Okay, well, we uh hit it. We we thank you for listening to this this this I guess we thank you for being with us this week, and then we'll have another one more episode as well. But it's a great reminder, hey guys, we all cut off short somewhere, but again, but it's also it could be a positive thing to remind ourselves that this is where it got too and remind ourselves that you know if it's trends and weaknesses, it's okay because we're not alone. We we do this work together. God bless you, and have a great day.