Let your life speak

This topic constantly keeps coming up in my life, in our family life. Where do our priorities really lie?

What does my life say to other people? How can my experience benefit others and myself? I'm not talking about worrying what other people think, I'm talking about being a witness for others-without words.

When I first married Tony I joked that Methodists are the "do whatever you want" religion. And I was partially right, after going to the membership class I realize that they are certainly more open minded than many. This coming from a woman with a Catholic upbringing with a tendency toward Protestantism. The other night we had a membership class at our (Methodist) church because we technically aren't members there yet.

Something the pastor said to me made me stop in my tracks. I asked him the question about "finding Jesus" (I can't think of any other way to put it) and he said that yes, some people experience an absolute moment of conversion, but many others just feel that they've always believed. And should the experience of some be the experience of all? This goes back to the measure of faith question from one of my earlier posts.

It's hard for me to pinpoint a time when I didn't believe. I have certainly had my doubting moments, but I have always been a Christian. I do think there is room for doubt in faith. I am incredulous at people who say they have never had a doubt about God. But I think doubt makes faith grow, it does not weaken it. It proves that faith is a choice.

But that wasn't what I was trying to get at with this post. What I'm wondering is: If I'm trying to let my life speak for my faith, how do I navigate the other things?
How many Mai tais or glasses of wine can I have before it's too many (before it becomes wrong)? What about sex and my personal beliefs about it? What about being overweight? What about my disgust with abortion? I didn't always have such an extreme reaction to it, but now I do. I can't even watch news stories about it because it literally makes me so angry that I shake. It's not righteous anger (if there even is such a thing--I think only God has that and it's called wrath). What about when I'm yelling at my husband? What about those questions I still have about and for God? What about those people I haven't forgiven yet?

I'm afraid of what those things may say about me. But I know that perfection isn't really the goal. The goal is choosing each day to serve God and not myself. Down this road all I can do is put one foot in front of the other and trust in God's mercy and healing.

What does your life say?