(The) Maker's Mark

I've never been one of those people who tries to make others believe what i believe. or even think the way i think. If they do, that's great, but I'll never shove my religion or political beliefs or even my choice for favorite cereal down someone else's throat. I'll talk about and debate those things, of course, but only if all those involved respect each other's beliefs--or lack thereof. Part of it is because I think what works for me doesn't necessarily work for others, and maybe a bigger part is that I'm just not that kind of person. Someone (a heathen of a boy, and a dear friend)once told me that I'm the only kind of Christian they can tolerate--I try to live a life of faith, to show others by my behavior that I believe something greater than me loves me more than I can imagine-enough to forgive my deepest sin, enough to die for me when I didn't deserve it. A life touched by--no --more than just touched by--a life filled up with grace and love.

Like i said, I don't talk about it much--I grew up in a school where witnessing to your pagan neighbors was enough to earn major extra credit points if you were willing to get up in chapel and talk about it. People who choose to stand on a street corner in New Orleans tell the revelers that they can escape hell with a three-line prayer make me shake my head in disbelief. Stop just talking about it, and lead by example instead.

Most of this was preface to what I'm trying to say--I was at a party last saturday night, just sitting around talking with some people from school, and someone asked me where I went to church. I made the move over to the Episcopalians a few years ago, not because I was disgruntled with the Methodists or anything like that, but because I just wasn't finding what I was looking for anymore. One of the girls was interested in why I'd made the switch, and talked a little about how she hadn't found a place to belong in a long time. Before I knew it, I had invited her along with me anytime she wanted and promised I'd be there to sit with her (a big deal when you don't know anyone, at least for us shy types).

I left a little while later, and realized while i was driving home that I'd TOTALLY get an extra-credit point for that. But when the Episcopalians are the ones giving them out, it would probably come in the form of a bottle of bourbon.