Unashamed?

Yesterday in one of my classes I was sharing with a partner the answers to questions on the overhead:

Who am I?
How do I describe myself?
Who do people who know me well think I am?
What is important for people to know about me?

My partner and I both said that we tend to be perceived as shy or quiet when we are in new settings. We come across very serious at times, but can "let our hair down" and have a lot of fun too. I have surprised myself how much I take on the observing role in new situations. I used to see myself as so much more out-going. I still see myself as out-going, but it tends to be more when I'm with people I'm at least somewhat comfortable with (not strangers.)

One of the other things I said that was important to me was my faith and relationship with Christ. I was surprised at how nervous I was to share this with another student. Not that I was embarassed, but it was not comfortable to just sit there and talk about it. Actually, as soon as I said that, it opened the door for a ten-minute theology and faith talk.

I am learning how to immerse myself more and more into the secular world, in this case the world of public education, without comprimising who I am and what I stand for. Not that my beliefs are changing, but i haven't had too many experiences where I've really had to verbalize my faith to a person who doesn't have the same Christian Vocab that I do. I think we'd all love to say that we would be unashamed and proclaim boldly to anyone who asks us about our faith, but I'm here to say that it's not as easy as it sounds. I definitely look up to and admire those who can speak so naturally in any setting about Christ.

I hope and pray that I am working towards that a little more every day.