I Have a Problem

I admit it...this week Facebook has caused me to blog less. I was looking for one friend from high school and couldn't find her. One morning, I was corresponding with another high school friend, and he just happened to mention that he had been in touch with her recently. (I hadn't even asked him about her.) He offered to send me her email. Right after he sent it to me, she popped up on my FB page wanting to be friends. I assumed that this mutual friend of ours told her where to find me. Turns out it was someone else from our high school who saw me on FB and told her that I was finally on. It's so cool that we were both looking for each other.

What's even more neat is that she has been living in Latvia for the past 11 years, so it's very interesting chatting with her. (Her FB page is mostly in Latvian!) Her parents are from Latvia, and I always knew that she and her brother went to a Latvian camp each summer (here in the US). I didn't know where this camp was located. Turns out it is located right here where I live (which is about 90 minutes from where we grew up)! I happened to tell her that there's a Latvian church down the street from me and that I have always thought about her whenever I have passed it. She asked me where in PA I live and the name of the church because she said she may have sung there when she was young. (She has a beautiful voice.) That's when we figured out that I live where she used to spend her summers! And yes, she has sung at that church! I have to say that Facebook makes the world seem very small!


I have also "friended" some of my bloggy friends on Facebook. I saw that they were posting their blog posts on there. Well, this presented a dilemma for me. I wanted to do the same thing in order to network with other writers. HOWEVER, I have never shared my blog with anyone that I actually know in person! My husband and sons know that I blog, but they've never even read anything on here. No one else knows that I have a blog. Right before I joined Facebook, I did send an email with a link to my blog to one of my very dear friends. She's a Christian and was my best friend growing up. I felt safe sending it to her.


What do I mean by safe? All of my friends here where I currently live know I'm a Christian, and I'd say %99 of them are, too. However, my parents, my sisters and my college and high school friends for the most part do not know that I am. (My family probably does, but we never discuss it.) I have been a "closet" Christian to most of these people, therefore, I haven't wanted to share this blog with any of them. I'd also say that none of my high school friends and most of my college friends don't even know that I write. So I've been a "closet" writer, too.


To keep myself "safe" from being criticized about my faith and about my writing, I started up a second Facebook page that is just for my bloggy and writer friends. And in doing so, I have felt like I am denying Jesus.


Today, our Pastor preached about being "salt and light" (Matthew 5:13-20). His sermon about being a light to the world was just for me.


You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16


I really have a problem letting my light shine among non-believers. It's something I have to get over in order to minister to others and to obey and serve God. Please pray for me in this area. Pray for courage for me; courage to minister to non-believers whether it be in person or on-line. Thank you my prayer warriors!