Had a great time teaching bujutsu to my bro in-law and his youngest son last night. My nephew is home from college this week and wanted to join in for a lesson. I had prepared the lesson in my mind over the days prior to their arrival last night and designed it so they could work the concepts together, without my being the one in the middle. Like all fathers who love their sons, his fondness for the young man he and my sister have been raising is touching, and they were a kick to watch. No pun intended. I set them up to work a practice drill which was new to my nephew, where they traded kicks and punches to work on focus, accuracy, counter-striking, distancing and timing. There are several elements to be aware of when you work this particular drill, not the least of which is keeping your chin out of arms reach while executing the kick. Getting tagged while you're in the middle of throwing a thai-boxing style kick is a great way to get knocked off balance, and then it is only one step from being mangled by a really aggressive fighter who will capitalize on your mistake. They did a really good job working together, and they had a lot of fun. They worked hard, and when they were done, they were sweating and breathing harder than normal, but they recovered quickly, and the next time they work it, they will both be more familiar with it and if they work even harder at it, it will be easier for them.
When I first shared with someone about Jesus, for some reason I was nervous and a little afraid that I might get tagged. I was a teenage new believer, and what I was so afraid of was that sharing Jesus might get my ego tagged. Talk about the spirit battling with the flesh. It was a spiritual exercise in faith. I wanted to help somebody else have what I have, but I was afraid that I might suffer rejection, or embarrassment. I look back on that now and wonder what I thought I was risking. As I progressed in my walk, I began to focus more and more on God when I was sharing and less and less on my ego. I learned to lean on Him. After all, it's about Him. It's not about me. I simply had to trust in His grace. It took me years to learn it, but God's grace is enough.
Paul learned it too. Paul went through a lot to share the Gospel of Jesus. He risked everything to do it but his eternal soul. He was given thirty-nine lashes with the whip on five different occasions and beaten with rods three times. He was shipwrecked. Three times! He spent many a sleepless night and was threatened by his fellow Jews and by gentiles alike. He was in danger in the city and in danger in the wilderness. He endured beatings, exhaustion, nakedness, hunger, thirst and the cold.
How many of these things have I endured for the Lord? Not one. Not once. I got a little chilly at Easter sunrise service once.
Still, Paul told the Lord that he needed something that was bothering him to be taken away. But God told Paul, and he learned, that God's grace is enough.

2 Cor 12:8-9 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." NKJV

Here in America, where I live, it's pretty hard to say that you've ever really risked anything meaningful to share Jesus with somebody. There's the outside chance that you will get told to get lost or somebody will swear at you. Big deal. Stick your chin out. God's grace is enough in all things, in all situations. God is enough.