Batesville

Lately God has been convicting me about the way I left my home town, Batesville, both physically and emotionally/socialy. One of the things the evangelism team leader was challenging us to do was to attempt to share the gospel with or just tell about what God had been teaching us to our old friends, whom we had already built relationships with. That made a lot of sense to me and I got all psyched up cause we are trying so hard to build relationships here in four months in order to share the gospel while already have quite a few relationships back home. Right?... Well I got on my computer and started thinking of people to share with and I realized that I hadn't really talked to anyone from home or old friends at all in a really long time, years even. Sharing with them what God has shown me after not keeping up with them for years wouldn't do any good and might weird them out. then it started to hit me that I had dropped all of my friendships back home when I left for Philmont last summer the day after graduation. The last time I talked to one of my best friends was in the parking lot after graduation. i think because I had a hard time socially in high school I kind of withdrew from everyone, in some ways even before I left. If you are from Batesville, especially if you are an old High School friend, I'm sorry. I didn't really realize what I was doing and I failed to show Jesus' love to a lot of people. I realized recently that Batesville is a ministry opportunity already set up for me. Instead of viewing at as an opportunity though, I tried to remove myself from it. Since leaving I have also failed to keep up with people through e-mail and stuff. Again, I am sorry to anyone who I ditched or judged. On the bright side, God has shown me grace by loving me through great friends in Fayetteville. I feel like I can be myself for the first time in a while, and that people like me like when I do. Its been pretty freeing. God is good.