The rain came in with strong winds as I pulled into the driveway last night. And it hasn’t quit. I haven’t seen rain like this in Colorado, ever. The strong run down shifted to a gentle farmer’s rain. But it has not quit. And it has no signs of stopping.

I had a blog post typed and ready to go September 10. I left it be, went to lunch, and how the day turned. We could see on the tv there was a school shooting in Evergreen, with not much being reported. Then two separate friends of mine texted me, requesting prayer for Charlie Kirk, who had just been shot. Hours later, we learned the shot was fatal.

Charlie was someone I’ve followed for a long time. Like a lot of his internet followers, his public debates drew me in. He debated extremely well, balanced government position and his faith, always ready to draw on scripture and share his faith. He was so charismatic. And the love he shared with his wife was evident. You couldn’t deny the connection, respect, and holiness they had in their marriage.

How could I mourn someone so much that I didn’t even know? Never met the guy; never even saw him speak in person. But this felt like a personal loss. It felt like losing someone I knew. And as the days unfolded, I started to realize why this felt so real.

I’ve had my ups and downs with social media, and sharing my life. This blog has had its ups and downs, unsure of what I should and shouldn’t share (and how often). But Charlie was never afraid to be seen. He had great respect for his wife and personal life, holding that sacred. But no matter the audience, he was so glad to share his faith and views, respectfully, and fully trying to understand why someone believed what they believed.

He wasn’t afraid to be seen; really seen. How often are we fearful of what others think about us? If we share what we believe, but still care about what others will say, are we really standing on truth? Or sharing truth needing the validity of man? I can tell you, this has been stirring in me. I’m not a viral social media person, but this event has definitely drawn a line in the sand on good versus evil, politics aside. My own family members have been unable to have a conversation about anything we disagree on.

It’s weird to me. Weird that we could be so wrapped up in our own ideas to not hear someone else out. I get it. It can be uncomfortable. But only the foolish walk around with their ears closed, refusing to be corrected. And only the fearful keep themselves in comfortable situations where beliefs and strengths won’t be challenged. Think about it. It’s like if you went to the gym and only ever lifted the same weight and did the same exercises every single day. Sure, you’d perfect those, but eventually it would get easy. Your muscles would get used to it. And your body would stop seeing results.

In thinking of uncomfortable situations, not sure why, but a memory from my childhood comes up. Madeline and I loved going to the YMCA in the summer, taking many different sports classes and lessons. I remember going to weight lifting and swimming, racquetball and tennis all in the same day. One other sport I really wanted to learn was gymnastics. It was the summer between my 7^th and 8^th grade year. But the rules were clear:  you had to start at the beginning level, regardless of age. So I signed up, and went into the gym, mostly with little kids in my class who had already been in tumbling. It was humbling. And of course some of the kids would ask, “Why are you so old in this class?” I remember saying, “I just want to learn.”

This really simple humbling maybe paved the way for other beginner moments, like when I started roping and there were Jr. High girls teaching me how to use my rope. Charlie didn’t go to college. He started Turning Point USA out of his parent’s garage. He started humble. And he stayed humble, but never apologized for the truth. And his moral truth was in Christ. Always.

Why are we so afraid of being seen? Or learning something new from someone who seems less qualified than we are? One thing I do believe is that we should look at what really qualifies someone. Is it only academics and accolades? Sure these things are helpful, but one thing that qualified Charlie was his courage.

“It doesn’t cost you anything to be courageous.”–Charlie Kirk

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

They were untrained and uneducated men. Boldness was translated from the word parresia, meaning confidence, assurance, free speech, and bold confidence. They were not afraid even though they were untrained and uneducated because they knew what truth they stood on, and it was worth standing for. They weren’t afraid of being seen for their beliefs, no matter if anyone qualified them or not.

This matters because we all are called into unqualified areas. And no matter if you are qualified or not, failure is part of that growing process. Keep in mind, Peter was the one who denied Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed. But after the resurrection and after Pentecost, the same Peter who had denied Jesus said there is no way I’m not talking about who my Jesus is and what he did for me.

The interesting part to me is that even through the time from denial to free expression, Peter didn’t become “more qualified,” right? If he had maybe some sort of speaking classes, or got some accreditation for his preaching, the book of Acts would not have written “uneducated and untrained.” The scripture clearly says those words. They were uneducated and untrained. But they weren’t afraid of being seen.

Whether you’re there now, or headed there, you’re going to find yourself in a place that’s unqualified. And if you shrink back in fear, you will deny the opportunity to learn or potentially deny your calling. But if you’ve got a heart like Peter that knows you’ve fallen short, but you’re stepping into the arena because you can’t deny, I encourage you to be seen. Let them see you unqualified and uneducated, unafraid of the truth, knowing when you stand on the truth, you cannot fail. This will be uncomfortable, and it might not be enjoyable. But it won’t be more unenjoyable than living a life half lived all because you were afraid of being seen.

Be seen. Be full of faith. And I’ll see you next week.