"Comfort Zone"

I wasn't planning on going very deep with this blog post, but with a title like that I feel like I have to... Well, we all have our comfort zones, and there comes a point when we have to leave them and cross those awkward, uncomfortable lines to experience greater things than those in the confines of our bubbles. Sometimes they don't seem so great at first, but from my experience, leaving my comfort zone builds a greater boldness in my heart, as well as adding some adventure, and who doesn't like adventure? We often hear in the Christian realm that life isn't supposed to be comfortable. We believe that if we are comfortable we must not be doing everything we can to further God's kingdom. Is this true? Maybe or maybe not, but isn't it hard to leave our comfort zone? HECK YES IT IS.

But... when we are comfortable, is it easier or harder to trust the Lord? Is it easier or harder to rely on Him for everything that we need?

When I think of my comfort zone, I think of Honduras. When I went to Honduras for the first time, I was definitely leaving my comfort zone, and during my time there I saw many people in discomfort.

But... were they not trusting the Lord more than I? Were they not relying on the Lord for each and every little thing that they needed?

Ironically, my comfort zones have switched. Honduras has become the place where I feel peace and security, and leaving Honduras forces me to cross those awkward, uncomfortable lines back into the United States. Here is the States, I constantly have to be reminded that I can't sit here comfortably, while darkness and evil surrounds me. I can't watch comfortably while people go on not knowing the love, comfort, peace and provision of God. The God who has given me this same love, comfort, peace and provision to share with those who do not know it.

I want these words to be my daily anthem, not to be forgotten or set aside:

"The priceless gift You gave was not for me to hold. I will spend all my days giving back the love You gave. I'm gonna waste it all on You, I'm gonna pour my hearts perfume, I don't care if I'm called a fool, I'm wasting it all You."

Kim Walker-Smith

So, now onto the real reason I wrote this blog post... it seems trivial now in comparison to what the Lord apparently wanted me to write today (above). But I suppose it helps put into perspective all that I said above.

A few months ago, a friend asked me to paint something for he and his wife. He wanted me to paint a picture representing the washing of the disciples' feet by Jesus. I started it immediately, but was soon discouraged after I had only painted the canvas completely black. I realized this painting was outside of my comfort zone, it was unlike anything I had been asked to paint before. The black canvas sat behind my bedroom door for weeks... I didn't even know where to begin. I wanted to finish it by their birthday, but their birthday was fast approaching, and by fast approaching I mean it was the Friday before their Sunday birthday party and I still had a black canvas sitting behind my bedroom door. I sat, I drew, and decided to just go for it, after all, I decided I could just paint it black and start all over again if it was that bad...

I stepped through that awkwardness of the darkness of that canvas, and trusted the gift God gave me. By leaving my comfort zone, I surprised myself by what I was able to achieve. By all means it wasn't a masterpiece, but I felt more confident and bold after I finished it. I think this provides an image that explains what I was talking about in the first half of this post. Step out. Be bold. Trust.

The priceless gift You gave was not for me to hold. I will spend all my days giving back the love You gave.