My Superpower Complements My Greatest Weakness

In today’s Issue:

My Superpower Complements My Greatest Weakness essay…

New YouTube Episode up…

Kickstarter Project for Jason C. Joyner…

Kickstarter Project for Becca Wierwille…

Every Wednesday, if I had a few dollars in my pocket, there was only one place I wanted to be.

StarBase 21 in Tulsa.

I’d walk through the doors and make a beeline for the comic racks, hoping the latest Superman issue had arrived. I’d buy it, race home, and disappear into another adventure with the Man of Steel.

Like a lot of kids, I wanted Superman’s powers.

Who wouldn’t?

Flight. Super strength. Heat vision. X-ray vision. Invulnerability.

He could stop a runaway train before breakfast and save the world before dinner.

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized Superman wasn’t compelling because of his strength.

He was compelling because of his weakness.

Without Kryptonite, Superman is just a collection of incredible abilities. With Kryptonite, he becomes relatable. Suddenly there are stakes. Suddenly there are moments where he doubts whether he’ll survive. His weakness doesn’t take away from his greatness.

It completes it.

I’ve been thinking about that lately because I think people are a little like superheroes.

We all have strengths.

We all have weaknesses.

And sometimes, if we’re paying attention, we discover they aren’t fighting each other.

They’re working together.

My superpower is serving.

I genuinely love helping people.

I love encouraging writers. I love mentoring. I love working behind the scenes so someone else can shine. I love building communities where people feel seen and welcomed. Some of my happiest moments have come from watching someone else succeed.

Serving has shaped me in ways I never expected.

It has taught me humility.

It has reminded me that life isn’t about collecting applause.

It has stretched my patience.

It has introduced me to remarkable people.

And more often than not, the person who ends up blessed isn’t the one being served.

It’s me.

But serving also comes with a cost.

Sometimes it’s exhausting.

Sometimes it means putting your own dreams on hold for someone else’s.

Sometimes it means giving your time, your energy, your creativity, and your heart without anyone realizing what it cost.

You don’t serve because you’re looking for recognition.

But if I’m honest...

There are days when feeling invisible hurts.

There are days when I wonder if any of it mattered.

That’s where my weakness enters the story.

I struggle with anxiety.

I struggle with insecurity.

And that still surprises me.

If you walked into my office, you’d probably notice the bookshelf first.

It’s lined with finalist pins for books I’ve written.

It’s lined with awards for other books I’ve written.

The entire shelf is lined up with those same written works.

Little reminders of prayers God has answered.

Years ago, I thought those things would finally silence the voice in my head that keeps asking, Am I enough?

They didn’t.

Because insecurity isn't logical. It doesn’t care about evidence.And the enemy, you know, the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, knows exactly how to exploit the places where we feel weakest.

He’ll use it to whispers lies anyway.

You’re not good enough.

Someone else could do this better.

Eventually people will realize you’re not as talented as they think you are.

No award has ever been powerful enough to silence that voice.

No achievement has ever made it disappear.

I’ve simply had to learn not to let it make my decisions.

For a long time, I viewed my insecurity as the enemy.

Something God needed to remove before He could really use me.

Now I wonder if I’ve had it backward.

What if my weakness actually complements my strength?

Because insecurity reminds me what it feels like to need encouragement.

Anxiety reminds me what it feels like to need grace.

Knowing what it’s like to question my own worth helps me recognize that look in someone else’s eyes.

It makes me slower to judge.

Quicker to encourage.

More willing to listen.

More willing to serve.

If confidence alone fueled my desire to help people, I wonder if my motives would slowly drift toward recognition.

But weakness has a way of keeping our hearts soft.

It reminds us that everyone is carrying a battle we can’t see.

The Apostle Paul wrote that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

For years I assumed that meant God works despite our weaknesses.

Lately, I’m beginning to think He often works through them.

Not because weakness is something to celebrate.

But because weakness keeps us dependent.

It keeps us humble.

It keeps us compassionate.

Maybe that’s why serving has always felt so natural to me.

Not because I have it all together.

But because I know exactly what it feels like not to.

Maybe my insecurity has made me a better encourager.

Maybe my anxiety has made me a better listener.

Maybe the very thing I’ve asked God to take away has quietly shaped me into the kind of person I couldn’t have become otherwise.

I still love Superman.

But these days, I don’t admire him because he can fly.

I admire him because he keeps showing up, even knowing that somewhere out there is the one thing that can bring him to his knees.

Real courage isn’t pretending you don’t have weaknesses.

It’s refusing to let them keep you from doing good.

My willingness to serve may be one of my greatest strengths.

My anxiety and insecurity may be among my greatest weaknesses.

But I’ve stopped believing they’re opponents.

I think they need each other.

One gives me the desire to help.

The other reminds me why people need help in the first place.

Maybe that’s how God designed us.

Not to become people without weaknesses.

But to become people whose weaknesses keep pointing their strengths in the right direction.

I have a new episode up on YouTube. I usually use YouTube to geek out about the books I’m reading. Here is what I’m planning to read for the remainder of the summer. So check it out, if you want some bookrecs.

One of the best things about being part of a writing community is getting to watch other creators chase their dreams. I have two friends killing it on Kickstarter right now!

My friend Jason C. Joyner is in the final stretch of his Kickstarter, and he’s so close to hitting $3,500. I’d love to see him finish strong!

If you love stories filled with imagination, humor, witty banter, and a little bit of magic, you’ll want to check out The Fairy Tale Fiasco.

Fellow Middle-Grade author Becca Wierwille also has a Kickstarter happening right now as well. She’s launch her Books 4 -6 in her Scout & Barnaby Mysteries. Three funny chapter books for kids 6-10 about a girl and her dog who team up to solve mysteries at a Christian wilderness camp. You can pick up books 1-3 or grab a full set of ebooks for only $25.