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Portland, Oregon
As I mentioned earlier, the Lloyd Center mall in Portland has an ice skating rink. When I was growing up this was the only public ice skating rink that I was aware of and it was one hundred miles from my home. As a result I've never ice skated. I've skied down black diamond runs, roller skated the hokey pokey and attempted skateboarding, but I've never lace up the ice skates.
What makes this ice rink even more "dangerous" is the ever changing gallery of people watching. Tables from the food court sit above it. People stand around it. Macy's department store even fronts the ice rink. That is way too many eyes for a 57 year-old to attempt ice skating for the first time.
The possibility of embarrassing ourselves has kept many of us from sharing Christ with others. We've never done it and we're never going to do it.
"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-- the Jew first and also the Gentile." Romans 1:16 New Living Translation
Did Paul ever "fall" in his attempt to share Christ with others? We don't know. Some would say that he wasn't at his best in Athens (I disagree). I have a feeling there were times that Paul stuck his foot in his mouth and didn't know what to say. He was human, but he wasn't ashamed of the Good News of God's love for him in Jesus Christ.
There is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about when it comes to our faith in Jesus. We are forgiven children of God. He is passionate about us even when our passion for him is at an all-time low.
Maybe it's time to lace up the skates and risk being embarrassed. If I never take the risk I'll never know the unique feeling that comes with ice skating.
Join the conversation at Praying With the Eyes on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/groups/173881749421231/
What makes this ice rink even more "dangerous" is the ever changing gallery of people watching. Tables from the food court sit above it. People stand around it. Macy's department store even fronts the ice rink. That is way too many eyes for a 57 year-old to attempt ice skating for the first time.
The possibility of embarrassing ourselves has kept many of us from sharing Christ with others. We've never done it and we're never going to do it.
"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-- the Jew first and also the Gentile." Romans 1:16 New Living Translation
Did Paul ever "fall" in his attempt to share Christ with others? We don't know. Some would say that he wasn't at his best in Athens (I disagree). I have a feeling there were times that Paul stuck his foot in his mouth and didn't know what to say. He was human, but he wasn't ashamed of the Good News of God's love for him in Jesus Christ.
There is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about when it comes to our faith in Jesus. We are forgiven children of God. He is passionate about us even when our passion for him is at an all-time low.
Maybe it's time to lace up the skates and risk being embarrassed. If I never take the risk I'll never know the unique feeling that comes with ice skating.
Join the conversation at Praying With the Eyes on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/groups/173881749421231/
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2013 Douglas P. Brauner. ARR.
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