Sewin' and Fishin'

Okay, ladies, please be honest; how many of y'all talk to yourself?

I will freely confess that I do.

Well, I suppose that's not strictly true. I don't talk to myself - I talk to people I am thinking about.

When I hear about a bad law a political figure has made, I spend the next hour or two talking to him under my breath, telling him just what I think of him.

When I have sinned against someone, but they aren't close by for me to apologize immediately, I spend the time 'til I see them again in murmuring to them how sorry I am, and telling them how terrible I feel.

When I have thought up a splendid (or so it seems to me) way to phrase a biblical concept, I (dare I write this?) actually pretend to be "preaching" to a crowd of people, telling them all about the newest thing I've discovered about my Heavenly Father.

Now...before y'all decide that I'm really wacko, and flee this blog for fear I'll contaminate you, let me state that my mind really is quite sane. Really.

It's just that I love words. I love the way they sound, the way sentences are put together, the way they can convey emotions. For me, it's not enough to sense the way I'm feeling. I must analyze the emotions and be able to convey them in words - even if only to myself.

The great majority of my "talks" never get louder than the under-my-breath tone I use when I'm creating and rephrasing them. But some actually do get told to other people.

I said all that to say this:

I sat down at my cutting table at 9:55 this morning. I didn't leave it until a few minutes ago - around 12:05. I was drafting patterns, trying to finish up a summer skirt, and a summer shirt. (I still hope to post pictures when they're finished!). I hadn't realized how fast time was flying until I looked at the clock. Why was I so preoccupied? Well...

...I was talking to myself. Yup. Oh - wait a minute - I mean talking to someone. Not myself.

I was having a random conversation with a check-out person at WalMart. Someone who I created in my imagination.

In my mind, we got into a conversation about spiritual matters, and I was able to present the gospel and tell my testimony. Then, from behind us, someone waiting in line behind me made a rude comment and started challenging the things I was saying.

(Yes, I know....this sounds a little weird. What can I say? I have a vivid imagination, and my fingers were occupied but my mind was free to wander!)

My first thought was "I need to reply to his challenges with scripture, not my own opinions." (This is something I've learned from real life!)

As I began searching my memory for verses that say God truly will judge sinners, and that He cannot let sinners into Heaven because He good, and holy, and righteous, and must punish sin, I realized that I couldn't quote very many verses to support my position. I knew I've memorized verses that talk about those things, but I couldn't think of them - much less quote them. The only one I could come close to quoting correctly was Joshua 24:19, which I read in my devotions two days ago.

As I realized with dismay that I was not familiar enough with the verses that cover this topic, I wondered if I needed to be refreshed on other topics, too. As the person stood behind me in line, arrogantly await my reply, I tested my memory. Did I know verses that clearly state mankind is a race of sinners? Yes... I knew verses in Romans about that. ...I could quote the ten commandments...

Was this stage fright? When talking to an imaginary character? I almost laughed. But it has happened to me in real life before. I'll get into a spiritual conversation with someone, and my mind will go blank on verses.

I've been blessed with parents who greatly encourage scripture memory. Because of this, I can recall whole passages of the Bible... when I'm in a friendly environment. But it seems I need work on applying them to real life. If someone challenges me on something, can I remember the particular verses that talk about that? I'm not sure.

So, I have discovered a new use for my time at the sewing machine. Practicing soul-winning! As proverbs says, he that winneth souls is wise. Becoming a good fisherman doesn't just happen. (If you need proof of that, just come fishing with me sometime and watch me try to spear the worm with my hook, and then proceed to get the hook caught in my hair!) I want to be prepared, so that when I do get in conversations with people (check-out people or otherwise!) I will be able to show them the gospel clearly.

By the way, if you are interested in improving your soul-winning, I encourage you to visit the "Way of the Master" link on the left side of my blog, under the "Check Out These Great Sites" section.

Happy fishing to y'all!