by Maggie Wallem Rowe

Have you ever been given a new opportunity to write or speak only to realize with dismay that you were not fully prepared to do your best?

 It’s been several decades ago now, but I clearly recall how excited I was to be offered a position as a radio announcer at a small station near Boston, Massachusetts. Newly married, my husband and I had moved to New England for Mike to attend seminary. I’d taken a tedious full-time position in the insurance industry to support us.

My dream was to find work – any work – related to my undergraduate degree in communications. The country was heading into a depression, and jobs for young writers seemed impossible to find.

And then a tiny classified ad in the Boston Globe caught my eye: “WANTED: part-time weekend radio announcer for country-western station in Beverly-Danvers.”

That wasn’t far from me!   

 I submitted my resume, touting my vast experience reading the news for my college radio station. I was thrilled when I scored an interview. Later I discovered I was the only applicant they had —no one else applied. Country-western music was far from popular in New England in the late 1970’s, but I’d grown up on a farm. My “country girl” credentials were good enough for the management.

The pay was minimum wage, and Saturday on-the-air hours were sunup to sundown. Demanding work, but at least I’d be writing my own scripts.

And then came the blow.

 The program was so low budget that the DJ was expected to function simultaneously as the station engineer, requiring a special third-class radio operator’s license which I did not possess. I’d had the opportunity to take a course in radio and TV technology in college, but I passed it up, convinced I couldn’t excel at something so technical.

And now the job depended on it.

How about you? As one who loves both written and spoken words, are you eager to pursue your calling as a writer or speaker? After all, there truly are no qualifications other than a willing heart, right?

As a seasoned sister, let me encourage you that while it’s never too late to become a writer or speaker, it’s also never too soon to prepare. Take that online course. Register for that speaker certification course. Save up and attend that conference. Prayerfully and humbly before God, acknowledge that you have much to learn from those who’ve taken this journey before you.

When asked if he had any regrets about his lifetime of service as a speaker and evangelist, Billy Graham said yes. He wished he had spent more time praying and studying the Bible, and less time traveling and taking speaking engagements. He wished he’d taken more time to prepare.

Jesus spent thirty years in relative anonymity preparing for only three years of public ministry.

That DJ position I was offered? The station was desperate enough to hire me, but I incurred time, expense, and significant stress obtaining certification that never would have been necessary if I done it earlier.

No matter what season of life you’re presently in, it’s important to carve out time to fully prepare for the work that lies ahead of you.  And if you’re already part of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference community? Good for you – you’re on your way!

It’s your turn. What have you found to be most valuable when it comes to preparing for your calling as a Christian communicator?

Maggie Wallem Rowe is a national speaker, dramatist, and author whose first book, This Life We Share, was a finalist for the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award in the New Author category. Maggie has also been a TEDx presenter. Her second book, Life is Sweet, Y’all: Wit and Wisdom with A Side of Sass, released from Tyndale House Publishers in 2022. Maggie writes weekly from Peace Ridge, her home in the mountains of North Carolina. MaggieRowe.com.