Sharing Faith - Even When It's Scary

Starting a new relationship is both exciting and scary. Getting to know everything about someone is interesting and fun, but in turn revealing yourself to someone new can be hard to do. When I met Alex I was in the midst of taking huge steps in my faith. Just two short weeks after we started dating I was baptized at Prairie Lakes. Because religion always seems to be a tough subject to tackle, and I wasn’t sure where he stood yet, I didn’t really talk to him much about it. I am ashamed to say I was scared to share with him how important faith was becoming to me. Looking back now, I know I had no reason to be scared.

I prayed often about how to approach the subject of faith with Alex. I desperately felt that I wanted him to be a part of it all and to love it as much as I did. I invited him to come to church with me one Sunday morning. Just as I had been when I first started going to church, he complained about getting up early. He spent the whole service reading a different part of the Bible than what the sermon was about. I was frustrated, but was glad that I had at least gotten him to attend with me. I invited him again the next week, and he said that he didn’t want to go. Though I was hurt and angry, I went alone. As church does for me, I was in a much better mood when I left, and I told Alex that I would love for him to enjoy church with me, but that I would never force him to go.

I continued to pray, asking God how I could show Alex how much more positive his life could become by growing his faith. Slowly, Alex began to see the importance that faith has to me. He began attending church with me whenever I went. There were busy weekends here and there where we had to miss services, so I showed him where we could watch them online on the Prairie Lakes website. We even once FaceTimed each other while simultaneously watching a service online when we couldn’t be together. I could see slowly that Alex was starting to change his mind about church.

We had conversations now and then about God and the things we pray for. These conversations will forever be held close in my heart, because I know they helped our relationship grow stronger. One day, I even noticed out of the corner of my eye that Alex was singing along during worship at church, and I was filled with joy. Seeing this new happiness and curiosity slowly grow in him has been one of my favorite parts of our relationship.

Alex and I do almost everything together; I can truly say he is my best friend. We enjoy being outdoors and fishing, or just staying in and watching movies. He makes everything fun, from trips to the grocery store, to when he helps me study for school. I couldn’t imagine life without him, and I am so glad he has become a part of my faith journey as well.