Many times, things happen in my life that I’m sure are spiritually significant, and yet I can’t quite figure out in what way. So it is with my latest endeavor: learning the art of aerial silks. On somewhat of a whim, I attended a class last week with my coworker and immediately fell in love. My roots in gymnastics and theater collided with my obsession for air travel and roller coasters, producing the greatest feeling I’ve found in a while. I’ll be chasing it for as long as I can.
I thought this might end up on my other blog in a simple “Adventures in Btown and Update on my Life” kind of post. But I was struck by something today that completely opened my eyes and changed my mind.
Yesterday, I was talking with a friend about this newfound Silks hobby/workout and invited her to come to the class with my coworker and I this week. Like me, she was thrilled to have the opportunity to try something she’s always wanted to experience. I was able to give her a little overview of what the class would be like and help her sign up, and let’s just say, I’m pumped for this week to get going!
Today, I was talking with someone else whom I realized might enjoy the class as well. So naturally, I mentioned that our mutual friend would be coming to the next session, and invited her to come with us too. Unfortunately, work schedules preclude her from joining this time around, but I still have her down as a solid “maybe” for the future (at least to have the experience, she said). 🙂
So tonight, as I was washing dishes, I reflected on my conversations with these two women. My invitation to each was similar, and very simple– I just explained that I’d found an activity I really enjoyed and was excited about, and wanted to share because I thought they might enjoy it as well. Neither one felt awkward about being asked, and even the friend who turned it down understood that I wasn’t hurt or offended, and I was motivated by a genuine friendship and love for her.
Of course, this made me think– If I can be so quick to reach out, to share my happiness and excitement about a hobby I’ve just barely encountered, without any inhibition, WHY IS IT SO HARD for me to reach out and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a truth so near to my heart and the single greatest source of joy, peace, purpose, and comfort in my life?!?!
Peter taught that we should “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” But we don’t just have to sit and wait for someone to ask, we can do even better than that! We need not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. If we are honest, genuine, and loving in our invitations, we don’t need to worry about offending, scaring, or annoying others with our efforts to share the things we enjoy and are excited about.
As it turns out, honesty is still, quite often, the best policy. 🙂