She left school, and now she is the only woman running the sound desk at her church

“I was doing all these things only for my enjoyment”

5Talents: Hello Esther, greetings from 5Talents. How are you?

Hello, I am doing well by the grace of God. Thank you.

5Talents: When and how did you come in faith in Christ Jesus as your personal saviour?

I have been born and brought up in a Christian family and I was living a normal life unlike other Christians. I used to attend Sunday school when I was a child, and gradually as I grew older, I started attending the youth meeting, where I go there to enjoy myself listening to the music and songs.

I have been actively participating in choir singing, performing choreographies and also for interceding prayers. But I did not believe God completely at that time. I was doing all these things only for my enjoyment with friends of mine in church, and to get a good name amongst elders and my parents.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…

Jeremiah 1:5

As the word of God says in Jeremiah 1:5, so He knows me well even though I didn't believe Him.

“Why is this poverty with my family?”

It was one fine day I was in the youth meeting singing songs and worshipping the Lord with a burdened heart. I was worried about my career, as I hail from a middle class family and I have got three younger sisters to look after, as my parents are uneducated and they are daily wage workers. It was hard for my parents to educate four of us in English medium schools, and hence three of us including me studied in a Government Telugu medium. Only my fourth sister was able to get education in an English private school.

In those days, I was in depression, anxiety and with a lot of anger, thinking: why did God allow me to be born in this family? Why is this poverty with my family? These sorts of questions were troubling me and making me depart from the Lord.

God was so gracious and loving to me in spite of my weaknesses. He spoke to me through the same verse, Jer 1:5, while the praise and worship was going on. God's words were clear to my conscience, saying: “I am here for you and I will take care of your career.”

At the end of the worship, I felt all peace and joy in my heart. I forgot about the questions which were troubling me, and I came to know that I was doing wrong till now by questioning God. Soon, I prayed to the Lord to forgive me for my sins and accepted Him as my personal saviour and Lord. Oh, it was the day of my salvation, and I can never forget that night what I have encountered with my Lord Jesus.

“Can I do it?”

5Talents: What are the talents you discovered to use for the kingdom of the Lord?

I was selected for choir singing in my church and also I was in the choreography team for programs carried out in church. I personally know tailoring work and I can stitch designer dresses and blouses effectively. These are a few talents which I have discovered that God has given me to glorify His name and to equip me in the society. Apart from this, I had interest towards the sound operating mixer which was in our church and operated by one of our youth members.

One day, there was an announcement in our church regarding the need of a sound operating technician, and soon my heart overwhelmed with joy, as I also can give my concern that I have interest towards learning the operating of the sound mixer. But I was afraid too, thinking, “Can I do it, as I don't have knowledge regarding the sound operating earlier?”

I prayed to God asking His will in my life and I was encouraged by the Bible verse Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” With no second thought or even doubt, I gave my name to learn and operate the mixer.

Today, I thank and praise God for enabling me to operate the 16 channel mixer in my church, and that too I am the only female sound operating technician in the crew. I strongly believe that this is one of the greatest talents I have been gifted by God to use for His kingdom.

Shouted at from the stage

5Talents: What important lessons has the Lord taught you through your talent?

As I was operating the mixer in a Sunday service during the praise and worship session, there was a minor mistake while operating the mixer. Soon, one of the senior members of the crew yelled at me directly from the stage, without even noticing about the people around. I felt so bad and hurt inside and was disappointed by the act. I left the place immediately and didn't talk to the person for almost a week.

The next day when I was meditating on His word in my quiet time, God spoke to me through the scripture portion I was reading, Matthew 23:12: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” The lesson I was taught by the Lord from that situation was to be patient, humble, and to have a willing heart to listen to the corrections when something goes wrong in life.

5Talents: What would you say to someone who says, “I am not very talented; how could God use me?”

My dear friends, I would like you to go through the Bible verse Jeremiah 1:5, which says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart…” This clearly states that God has planted a seed of talent in every individual before we could be born on this earth, and has made us apart to be a unique piece to be used for His kingdom.

I encourage you my friend to be patient enough to know His will and to discover the talent He has planted in you. The only thing you and I need to do is to submit ourselves to Him, trust Him completely, and He will use us for His glory. Amen!