My thoughts of Facebook

Facebook: the social network. Who needs that I am NOT social, at all! I am the girl that shows up to functions, stays close to my hubby and well, talks to him. I can be social if I feel I need to be... but this is not the track I wanted to be on, the track I wanted to be on was my current thoughts on Facebook, not my social life, or are they intertwined?

I had heard of My Space and Facebook for a while and really had no desire to become part of the community. I felt it was for folks that had lots of friends, liked to hang out, and/or single.
How wrong I was...
First I started the thing to get in touch with the Murphy's, John's high school buddy and his wife. Then I just dropped it and didn't do anything with it for several months. Along comes a friend of mine from church and is telling me how many of our friends are on there, how she is reconnecting with friends from high school, and other things I found foreign. So this time I actually get on FB and look around, search for a few peeps I knew from other places, and play a few games. It was fun starting off with my friends at church, see how they were doing. Since I had started going to church on Sun nights, I was missing the things happening with the folks who stayed on mornings. Then, I found some ladies in my home school group, then a gal from one of my workplaces.
So anyway, this past couple of weeks have been the major increase in my "friends". First, lots of folks from high school are catching on to FB and it has become a little network in itself. Then I got a friend request from a girl I knew in NC. I had looked her up when I started, but she wasn't there. Then I guess she just got started and looked for me. She had a friend that I knew, this other person has a high school friend that is one of my current friends, another friend is cousins with a friend in my morning Sunday school class ..... and so on.
I guess what I am getting at is this: the Internet is not evil and even social can be good. I have prayed for friends, some knew, others won't ever. Where else would I have the opportunity to casually see into peoples lives and make a difference? Every status posted is there for a purpose, every person chooses what they want to put out there for others to read. For instance, one person is having a hard time with the recent death of her mom. She makes comments about her sad days, posts pictures of memories, and you can just sense that she is still mourning that loss. I get to pray for her, carry her burdens to the Father, and all without her even knowing. It's just between me and the One who can carry her pain. Please don't think this is about me. It is just about the opportunities God gives us. It would be easy for me to snub the social scene and say it's just not for me, what is not so easy is to step out and let others see me. The me that God has changed, made new by his grace, the me that many don't even know. I am far from the girl I use to be, so far that I normally choose to hide from those who knew me when... But on FB I can be me, at a distance. I don't have to be tangled in their lives, just seeing what they desire others to see. And I don't have to worry if they are picturing the old me or not, they will eventually see the new me. I want them all to know the reason I am a new me. I want them to know how Jesus picked me from my miry pit and set my feet upon the Rock. I want then to know how I was sad, lonely, lost and unable, then I asked for help from the only One who could give it. Now I am joyful, content, have a hope and able.