Share five things you’re good at.
Some people’s strengths are loud. Mine have always been quieter—subtle things that don’t announce themselves, but settle into the background of a room, or a team, or a community. They’re not the kind of skills that appear on a résumé, but they’re the ones that shape the way I live.
Here are five of them.
1. Hearing the Heart of Things
When I listen to a sermon—or any piece of communication, really—I can usually hear the essence within it. The thread. The thing that’s trying to breathe. Over the years, people have said that I’m good at offering sermon feedback because I can name what drives a message forward and what distracts from it. It’s not about critique. It’s about honouring intention—helping the real message stand up straighter.
2. Bringing Calm Into the Room
I don’t try to do this. It just seems to happen.
Staff have told me that my presence settles them, especially when the pressure is high. I’m deliberative by nature and tend to slow things down in a crisis, because rushing rarely uncovers truth. Slowing things down lets us get to the heart of the issue—what’s actually happening beneath the noise.
Sometimes the calmest person in the room isn’t the one with the answer, but the one who can help others find theirs.
3. Being a Safe Pair of Hands
Years ago, a board member said this about me, and I still carry it with surprisinggratitude: a safe pair of hands. There’s nothing flash about that. But during seasons like COVID, when bold ideas weren’t what we needed, safe hands mattered. We needed someone who would hold the college, support people, keep them safe, and make decisions that honoured both responsibility and humanity. Being steady isn’t glamorous. But sometimes it saves the day.
4. Taking Calculated Risks
Being steady doesn’t mean being cautious. I’m actually quite comfortable taking risks—just not reckless ones. If I’m convinced something will work, I’m willing to stake everything on it. I’ve always had that blend of instinct and strategic judgment: knowing when to be patient, and when to put everything on the line. It’s quiet, but it’s resolute. And it has shaped many of the decisions that matter most to me.
5. Showing Up for My People
If there’s one skill I hope grows with me into the rest of my life, it’s this: being reliable. A steady friend. A faithful family member. Someone who turns up when needed and checks in even when not asked. There’s no applause for reliability, no spotlight for consistency—but these are the things that make a life feel held.
None of these skills are loud. None of them would make headlines. But they are the quiet ways I try to love my community, shape my work, and take my place in the world.
The Afterword 
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