Reciting with Butterflies - Scripture Speakers

I wish I would get sick and couldn’t go;
I wish a fire would burn the school house down;
I wish we’d have at least ten feet of snow,
So people couldn’t get around the town;
I wish I’d get a black eye in a fight—
I got to speak a piece to-morrow night.

I wish I’d lose my pants or get ‘em torn;
I hope that Ma can’t find my shirt or hat
And, having nothing decent to be worn,
She’ll say: “I cannot let you go like that!”
But Ma will have my clothes laid out, all right—
I got to speak a piece to-morrow night.

Some fellows can get sick and stay away;
Sometimes the school house burns the night before;
Bill Green once broke his leg the very day
He had to speak a piece, and Jimmy Moore
Tore out his Sunday pants right where he sat—
But I don’t ever have such luck as that.

Nothing I eat will make me sick to-day,
I couldn’t get a black eye if I tried;
Ma’s got my Sunday clothes all put away;
I wish I knew a place where I could hide.
But I’ll be there, dressed up and frightened white—
I got to speak a piece to-morrow night.

If you read the poem above and could relate to the poor “unwilling orator’s” feelings, then you know what it feels like to have a violent torrent of butterflies in your tummy when you get ready to speak in public. A fear of public speaking is extremely common but often seems like an insurmountable obstacle. The truth is, even professional speakers speak with a few butterflies in the tummy, and the unpleasant physical symptoms that accompany those butterflies don’t have to keep you from reciting Scripture as a way of ministering to others. You can get past the barrier of nervousness by preparing for the butterflies before they hit.

I experience some level of nervousness with each recitation. Or perhaps it’s excitement. After all, with either feeling adrenaline is flooding my body and can result in the exact same physical symptoms. If you’re feeling nervous about reciting in front of others, one of the first things you can do to prepare for this rush of adrenaline is to reframe the experience in your mind. When I feel the lurch in my belly that tells me the minutes are ticking away until it’s time to stand up and speak, I tell myself, “I am excited to do this. These feelings are okay, even if they are a bit uncomfortable. It means it’s almost time.” Breathing deeply and repeating similar phrases in your mind can help you, too! Another phrase to repeat is, “I can survive five minutes.” Adjust for the length of your passage, of course. It will all be over soon!

You can also prepare for physical symptoms of nervousness by practical, physical means. You can make a “butterfly kit” for your recitation that you keep on hand for the day of. In it, you will want to include Pepto Bismol, water, and sources of mint or ginger. These sources of mint or ginger can be gum, candies, or even cough drops. There has been many a time in the recitation ministry that I’ve found myself popping a Ricola herb cough drop into my mouth. The soothing flavor does wonders for my rising anxiety. If possible, you will want to take out the gum or candy before you recite since it can distract your audience and yourself. And note, I did say to pack Pepto Bismol as well. Some of us respond to stress in a way that makes Pepto an absolute necessity.

You know your body best and how it responds to stress. Think ahead for your official recitation and you can plan for your body’s natural reaction. For example, I tend to feel sick for recitations in the morning since I wake up with adrenaline and don’t have enough time to process it before the recitation. I plan ahead to get to bed early the night before since I’ll likely be springing up early in the morning the day of. I make sure to have bananas on hand for breakfast since I lose my appetite quickly and find I can still take bites of a banana. I’m hypoglycemic, so skipping a meal entirely isn’t an option for me. I get dressed and ready early to leave plenty of time (while cooking breakfast and wrangling my young cherubs), to make sure I look and feel my best. This way, I won’t have to feel nervous about my hair looking more wild than I prefer in front of an audience. I want to minimize these distractions to focus on the ministry.

Something else that helps me, and can help you too, is to choose your outfit ahead of time. Make sure it’s one you feel absolutely confident and comfortable wearing in front of an audience. You don’t want to be nervous about what you’re wearing, if it matches or if your shirt might lift too high if you raise your hands, etc. By choosing this ahead of time you leave the hours before your event open for you to focus on handling the butterflies well.

If you’re having a lot of trouble with butterflies in the tummy, you might find it helpful to lie down in a dark, quiet room for a few minutes before you recite. Breathe deeply and slowly. Pray calmly for peace and remember the Lord is with you at this moment and will be with you as you recite. In fact, He will probably be smiling as He hears you speaking His Word to others.

All the advice in this post comes from my own experience with butterflies in the tummy and managing them as well as I can. The physical symptoms of nervousness have gotten better with each recitation, but I still experience them to varying degrees depending on the significance and time of the recitation, and how prepared I feel for it. The Lord has called me to this ministry and prepared me for it for over twelve years and still, the butterflies come! So if you feel yourself an “unwilling orator” because an audience gives you a lurch in the stomach, take heart and recognize that this complication does not need to be a barrier. With a little preparation, you can still recite Scripture with the butterflies.

God bless you with bravery as you seek to bless others with His Word!

In Christ,

Rachel Eernisse, Scripture Speaker.