My business cards came in yesterday.  I set them up through a company that provides free cards (just the cost of shipping) for 250 cards.  They are matte finish, and aren’t the most attractive card in the universe, but they do feature my contact information, a Bible verse, and a quick sentence reinforcement of my faith in Jesus.  It also has a website url to the story of how I came to faith in Jesus.

I envisioned using the card as something to hand to people if I do get into a spiritual conversation, so that if they want to continue it, they can contact me.  It seemed to me to be a useful thing to have, more versatile than a tract.

Of course, now I need to actually use them.

I am still thinking tracts could be handy to give to people to keep them thinking after the conversation is over.  I don’t like the idea of just handing them out willy nilly - a piece of cardstock is not a loving way to share the good news with someone.  However, as something to consider after a conversation has run its course, I see a role.

Heh.  Looking at the above, I sound so considered and experienced.  But all I really want to do is figure out how to share my faith with others so that they receive it in the spirit it is intended.  I know it won’t happen 100% of the time the way I’d like, but I’d like to shoot for 80%.

Of course, I won’t even get that until I give it a shot.  A batting average cannot be calculated until you start to take swings.

One thing I have always struggled with is being confident in sharing my faith with people. If an opportunity arises where someone asks me about being a Christian I don’t have a problem sharing, although I never feel that I am very eloquent in how I say it. Lately I have found myself in the position to share much more about how I feel about certain issues regarding ministry or about my own struggles as a Christian. The thing is, I’m almost putting myself in those positions. In the past when conversations would be moving in a direction where I’d have to share I’d find an excuse to leave the room, but now I take on the challenge and help steer it towards me needing to share my position.

I am currently enrolled in a writing course which discusses how writing impacts your health (The shortest explanation I can give you). As part of the course requirements I need to write journal entries. I can choose to share whatever I want from my journal but this past week I shared about my anxieties regarding the notion of being a pastor’s wife in the future. I am not taking the course through a Christian university. 90% of my classmates are not Christians which immediately makes me question wether or not to post journal entries regarding my faith. I had other journal entries I could have chosen to share, but I decided to go for it and post about my fears of ministry. I may have only received one post in response from my classmates, but it was a post of encouragement.

I’m amazed by my willingness now to share with others what I used to keep to myself. In the next while I hope to uncover a way to explain my faith a bit more concisely and without stumbling along like I can’t find the words I need to say. Just a short little testimony minus the anxiety.