Lurker

Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God. Ecclesiastes 5:7 (NIV)

The first blog I ever read was Florida Cracker’s. http://www.pureflorida.blogspot.com/I found it while searching for links to Florida Cracker horses. I was addicted from the first post and ended up going back and rereading all his previous posts and most of the comments! I enjoy reading about his life and the interesting things he sees and knows about Florida. I read for more than a month before I finally had the courage to comment on a post. I can’t even remember what it was that compelled me to give up my anonymity, but I still didn’t link back to my own blog which was inspired by Florida Cracker’s. Mine just didn’t seem to measure up to his. So, I just posted with my name and as I hit send, I thought, “What in the heck am I doing sending a message to a stranger?” Fortunately, Florida Cracker turned out to be just as nice as his posts depicted. Eventually, I let him and some of his readers into my own life and blog. Years later, his blog is still one of my favorites and I have had the pleasure of meeting him in person. I’m no longer a Lurker on many blogs whose writers I have never met. That’s the name bloggers call people who read, but don’t comment. I was thinking about Lurkers the other day when I was at a social event at one of our historical sites and the husband of a friend came up and said to me, “I love your blog. I read it every day.” What? Someone I didn’t know read my musings? A guy, at that? For a time, I was in a panic. What might I have written here that I would be embarrassed for him to know? All my talk about menopause and exercise, eating entire boxes of cookies and yelling at my kids! I was tempted to start editing my posts, thinking of my potential audience rather than what I have always intended, to just write for myself, and if you happen along beside me, you are welcome to join me if you can stand the honesty. But, then, I thought, Nah. If he had the courage to admit he reads, I’ll have the courage to keep writing with no changes! Now, if you happen to be a Lurker and you ever want to step out into the light, feel free to click on the post comment link below. You can just type in your comment and either sign up for a cute blog name or just put your own. Or leave it anonymous. I don’t care. What is more important than letting me know you read, is taking a stand for the One you serve. You can’t lurk when it comes to God. It’s all or nothing with Him. Maybe not today, but someday, you will be called to take a stand for what you believe. And there will be no hiding behind the label, anonymous, on that day!