I had originally posted this on my Facebook page after feeling discouraged..
People may not like the way you express yourself. Don’t stop being you. I have lost a few friends from being open about my faith, and to tell you the truth, it hurts and breaks my heart. But I can’t stop expressing that side of me. It’s who I am. I don’t want to filter out the thoughts that make me feel so free, at peace, and full of joy. I want to share it! I want to give love the way that I receive love! If you don’t like that side of me, then you probably just don’t like me.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” John 15:18-19
My heart felt sad yet, my heart felt like I can’t NOT express my faith! Very shortly after I made that post, somebody sent me a private message that confirmed that I need to keep being me.
Regarding your recent post about “friends” not liking that you express your faith so much, I need to let you know something. While I was raised Catholic and attended 16 years of Catholic school, I don’t have much faith. I am typically annoyed and against how people do flaunt their faith (especially on Facebook!) but! And a really big but, you express your faith in such a way that I actually find inspiring. I have never seen such a completely joyful, open expression of faith before. And in such a very real way. You really are a light. As someone who has often felt ostracized or not a part of everything because I am simply not religious or see so many people who claim to be faithful and treat others like garbage (or just lord their religion over everyone), you are seriously an example of how it should be done. We’ve just barely crossed paths back in the day but I just wanted to let you know that there is someone in your corner who really does come from a different place.
I am grateful that there are outlets to share our faith! I am grateful that my words, thoughts, actions can have an effect on somebody, pointing them to our loving God!
