Oh me oh my I'm much too shy... By Vickie Stam

Yikes! Have you ever found yourself caught in the middle of a controversial subject? If you're anything like me, you most likely felt that inevitable lump rise in the back of your throat and maybe even those nasty beads of sweat that trickle down your spine as if they were taking dictation in a court room. It's not surprising. Controversial topics have a tendency to stir up feelings that make us uncomfortable. When two or more people engage in a conversation with different opinions it opens the door for upset to creep in. As luck would have it, conflict is born.

Most people have faced some sort of controversy whether by choice or circumstance. This is not to say that all controversy is bad. Amazing things have evolved from some of the most unsettling issues. Still, I feel uneasy when I think about the fallout; the adverse consequences that can occur from such topics and then I shy away.

Right now, this month's theme is prompting me to mull something over.

"Hmm." Do I tackle controversial topics.....in my writing???

My first response is to say, "No way, not me." But that wouldn't be entirely true. I have written about some very conflicting circumstances that have affected me personally where I have felt there is only one side or the other with no middle ground or no other options. It wasn't a great feeling.

Whenever I find myself mixed up in a conversation that has suddenly become heated I hear my inner voice whisper. Tread lightly. Be Careful. Don't say anything at all. And at times I hear only one word----Stop! Before someone gets hurt. Learning when and where to pick my battles didn't come without scars.

I'm a shy person by nature having grown up in a home where you were seen and not heard. As an adult I still find it difficult to relieve myself of the task my parents instilled in me.

When I think of Jesus though, I'm reminded that he himself stirred up controversy when he healed the crippled woman on a Sabbath or when he dined at Levi's house among tax collectors and sinners and sadly enough when he died on the cross for our sins. But it wasn't Jesus intention to stir up controversy and it isn't my intention to either.

In 2nd Timothy we are told, "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because you know they produce quarrels." Most of us can attest to that in one way or another.

Yet when I think about matters of relevance that might make a tremendous difference in a person's life I feel a little more bold. I openly share my belief in God even though we live in a world where that too can stir up trouble.

After much thought, I don't see myself as a writer of controversial topics. I'm not fond of them even if I have written about them a time or two. They were conflicts I would much rather have never experienced. None the less, writing about them provided me with an avenue for healing. Maybe one day I will feel compelled to share those accounts but for now..... I choose to remain silent.