Bushel Basket living?

[Cruikshank_s]

I would like to think I’m fairly pious, I genuinely enjoy my faith, I love to share it with others(in a controlled environment) and generally take pleasure in the practice of our faith. Here is my problem, and I would appreciate some advice: I work as a valet (apart from being a student) and during work I have long spans of down time where I simply sit and wait either for a car to pull up, or after I’m done, waiting for my customers to leave the restaurant. I’ve taken to reading my Bible during these times, and I enjoy it, but I feel, I don’t know, embarrassed when people notice it is a Bible that I’m reading. Today, a man noticed it, and asked for me to say a prayer for him… Something that would never have happened were I to have been reading a novel or something. I get the urge often to put a cover on it, while I know very well that is is not heroic, and it certainly limits my ability to evangelize, I’m just not comfortable with people thinking I’m holy or something and asking me to pray for them, I just want to read my Bible. Do you think there would be anything wrong with covering it up? Or turning it upside down to hide the title? (I already do that when people pass by) I know I need a shot of courage and show confidence, but do you think I could be in danger of or am already without knowing it being ashamed of the gospel?

 

[anonymous_in_fl]

I’m glad you are reading the Bible! We should all spend more time doing so. You’re not “flaunting it”----- people just happen to notice. If you were reading any other material (like computer science or history) would you be covering that up? Why the need to cover up the fact you’re reading scripture?

 

[ynotzap]

Unknown to yourself you are evangelizing, the Bible is the Word of God and the Bible speaks of Jesus the God-man and Redeemer of mankind, and Jesus is the Good News. By reading it you triggered a holy thought in the man that witness the Bible…Pray for me… The Bible can convert, it’s the Word of God When you get to know it better you will be able to use more of its power to lead people to conversion, and experience your own. I mean advance your own. there are many levels of conversion.

 

[ynotzap]

I forgot to mention it does take courage to manifest your faith, and if anybody asks, just remind them that the Bible is for sinners, and that you are a sinner (so is everybody else and they know it ) I said my prayers before meals in public, And a man walked up to me and said, the best I remember that I did a good thing and wished everyone else would do the same, you never know how the Holy Spirit will move people. It’s wonderful that He is using you as His instrument even if you don’t immediately perceive it.

 

[FreciaMarie]

…you never know how the Holy Spirit will move people. It’s wonderful that He is using you as His instrument even if you don’t immediately perceive it.

This is so true.

Not exactly the same thing, but my husband and I experienced a similar desire to hide our faith, today, OP, and for a very similar reason. We went to an early mass and received our ashes, this morning. We took our little girl to Disneyland to get a lesson in goats and goat care, this afternoon, as part of an educational experience. We hadn’t really thought about our ashes, since there are plenty of Catholics in our local community, most of whom receive ashes. Anyway- we weren’t even into the park before we realized that people were staring- some looking confused- and no one had ashes…but two different people stopped us and thanked us for reminding them of the day. Okay, cool. We get into the park, start hiking through to the petting zoo area and it was starting to make us feel weird. Quite a few people commented on them (most just saying a quick “thanks for the reminder!”), but we both started wondering if we looked like we were flaunting some imaginary piousness. We wanted to wipe them off, but that felt wrong, too. We passed by two women who were also wearing ashes (they greeted us so warmly, since we were the first people they had seen in ashes, and they were feeling slightly embarrassed, as well, lol!) and realized that they didn’t appear to be “flaunting” anything. They just looked like what we were- people who had made it to receive ashes that morning. Nothing more, nothing less. I can’t say that we ever felt completely unselfconscious, but the good thing was the number of people who seemed grateful for the reminder of the start of Lent.

Your reading your bible, without hiding it, is a beautiful way to witness the faith, without saying a word. And perhaps what people are seeing, when they notice and ask you to pray for them, is just person who is trying to be close to God and who can likely appreciate the power of prayer. If you were coming off as “holier than thou”, I doubt that anyone would ask you for much of anything, particularly a prayer. It’s an humbling thing to ask someone to pray for you- we tend to ask for prayers from those who exhibit humility.

I say leave your bible uncovered. And God bless you for reading it.