Witnessing Boldness vs. Love

I'm a naturally timid person, but I think it's when I have a personal concern for the individual that I can talk with her about the Lord. It's a personality difference, I guess--some can walk up to total strangers on the corner of the block & start witnessing; that just doesn't work with me.

I remember one Christmas during my college years, I spent weeks before the holidays praying for boldness to witness during those winter weeks. That was one vacation I witnessed more than any other, usually due to an overwhelming love for the person on the receiving end. When those few weeks were up, I said to myself, "I should've prayed for more LOVE, not BOLDNESS, in witnessing!" It occurred to me there's scripture "and some of COMPASSION, making a difference" (Jude 22). Boldness is only a natural result of the love God floods our hearts with.