If you know me only through my writings, my blogs or Facebook statuses, you might have the preconceived idea that I am a confrontational person when it comes to things I don't like or injustices that I see. And you'd be sorely mistaken. When it comes to confrontation, I am a marshmallow. A big, soft, fluffy marshmallow. I'd no sooner approach an adult who'd done something wrong than poke myself in the eye.
For instance, yesterday as we were leaving the Walmart, I spotted a man park in the last handicapped parking spot remaining in that row. Why? I suppose it's because he didn't feel like walking from farther in the parking lot. Why does anyone do things like this? Selfishness, plain and simple. Did he consider that an actual handicapped person might actually need that spot? Probably not. And maybe he did, but didn't care. Just to make sure I wasn't making a snap judgment (and because I couldn't see the license plate--I could only see that he didn't have a handicapped tag hanging from his rear view mirror), I sat there and waited for him to get out. Neither he nor his female passenger were handicapped. Now, I know there are plenty of handicaps that are hard to detect. But if you're able to drive and walk away from your car without any assistance, you probably don't need to park in that space. And while we're at it, if you are driving a car belonging to a handicapped person, and they are not with you, that does NOT give you the right to park in a handicapped spot. Glad I got that off my chest. But see? I'm all bark and no bite. Did I actually say anything to the couple? Nope. I'm not even sure I made eye contact enough to give them a good self-righteous glare. Marshmallow.
As a missionary, I may very likely be approaching strangers and asking them if they know Jesus as their Savior. There will be opportunities for me to befriend people before talking to them about Him, as well. But at some point, I will need to ask. I will need to be bold in my approach.
We've all seen people who are far too bold for their own good. Most of the time, these people tend to turn others off. Nobody really enjoys confrontation all of the time, right? These people are kind of like jalapeno peppers. They are spicy and have quite a kick to them. Most people enjoy a little spiciness in their lives. But not all the time. Spicy cereal? Spicy ice cream? Spicy watermelon? Some things are just not meant to be spicy.
What if I were to give up some of the marshmallow and adapt some of the jalapeno? I'm not entirely sure what food that would make me, but let's just consider for a minute what that would look like. I'd be bold enough to speak up when I need to, yet sensitive enough to the situation to be gentle or quiet when I need to be. I'd be bold enough to witness for Jesus without fear, yet careful not to push people away who are not ready to hear about Him.
May I grow to be in between a marshmallow and a jalapeno.
No comments:
Post a Comment