You Have Everything You Need
Advice from a seminary preaching class
Welcome to Walk & Talk, my monthly offering to share stories, inspiration, and hope. I’m Kim Knowle-Zeller, mama, pastor, and writer. I’ve lived in West Africa and one summer hiked 500 miles across Spain, and now I call Cole Camp, MO home with my husband, two children, dog, and cat. I love to walk, talk, and share stories. Thanks for being here!
Here's what my professor told me in my first seminary preaching class: “You have everything you need to write a sermon.”
My classmates and I laughed, but also squirmed in our seats. Everything we need? Really? Then why are we here? It felt daunting as new seminarians tasked with preaching meaningful sermons week after week. What about all those commentaries, book studies, and diving into the Greek and Hebrew meaning of the words? Surely, we, the preacher, couldn’t have everything we needed?
“Yes,” he reiterated. And kept reiterating this reminder throughout our preaching classes. We have our lives and loves, where we’ve been, the places we’ve fallen short, the mistakes we’ve made, the challenges we’ve overcome, the day-to-day experiences we’ve had in our lives. And that’s enough. We are enough.
I think about this advice a lot in terms of my own creativity too. I’m one who could spend hours reading, listening, and doing all the things to better my craft. But sometimes all this thinking and researching keeps me from actually doing the creative work that my soul desires, that the world needs.
It is good to research, study, and deep dive into those things you love. But if you’re feeling just a little worn down, tired and frazzled, trying to fit in any creative work into your day, wondering how you’re going to care for your kids and make time for your work, or simply feeling tired of seeing everyone else’s feeds full of beauty and creativity and doubting your own gifts, hear me when I tell you: you have everything you need.
I see you with your love of color and design. The beautiful scarves you knit, the meals cooked with love, the songs you sing to wake your kids in the morning and get them out the door, the notes scribbled on your phone, and the early morning pages.
I see you—in your homes and neighborhoods, communities and schools—sharing your time and love.
I see you wondering and wrestling: am I doing enough? Is my work good enough? Does any of this matter? How do I use what I have before me?
Let me tell you again: you are enough.
And on the days when you don’t feel like creating or wonder if you can wake to the long to-do lists, or the baby won’t nap, or you burnt your dinner (again), you also have the God who created you from the beginning loving you, reminding you again and again: your work matters, your creativity matters, you matter.
// A version of this appeared in the Exhale Creativity monthly newsletter. I’m the community manager for Exhale — an online community for mothers and creatives. Our community is made up of writers, photographers, poets, bakers, knitters, musicians, designers, podcasters, painters, and more! At the root, we all believe—or are fighting to believe!—that creativity enriches our motherhood, and motherhood enriches our creativity.
This blessing is here to make you feel
safe, known, encouraged, and loved
and this blessing is here now
to tell you,
you are enough
it’s looking you in the eye
grabbing your hands
and seeing you, a beautiful creation
created in love.
I wrote a Blessing for the End of the Year for
:What do you see?
What do you hear?
What do you feel?
Remember this year —
you lived and loved
laughed and cried
hoped and prayed.
This year and this world
are better because of your love.
// Read the full blessing here.
Thanks for this, Kim! <3
Love this, Kim!!