The Comfort Zone

It's nice, isn't it--our comfort zone.

It's different for everyone, but everyone has them...the place where things are safe, predictable, and...well, comfortable.

I like my comfort zone. My comfort zone is with my family, and involves lots of 'safe' things: hanging in my backyard, planting things, watching movies, and so on.

Comfort zones are nice...but they are NOT the places to live for anyone who wants to make a difference in the world.

They are NOT the places to settle if I want to grow.

A wise friend shared a phrase with me yesterday: "You can change without growth, but you cannot grow without change."

If I want to grow, I've got to be willing to change, and this means getting out of my 'comfort zone'.

Over the next 2 weeks, I'm going to be in Africa (Uganda and Kenya) with a group of pastors, and this is DEFINATELY out of my comfort zone...but I know it will be a great experience, and place of growth for me.

I pray that I can contribute something of consequence to them, and the people we're visiting.

Jesus said to Paul, in response to a prayer for healing that "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9. Paul response? ' If that's true, then I'm going to embrace my weaknesses--because that's when Jesus' strength comes through!' (my paraphrase).

I am stepping out, but doing it on my knees. I pray that the Lord would give strenght for anything that comes up, that He helps me to hear His voice and learn what He wants me to, that He uses me in the lives of others, and that He keeps me remembering that "When I am weak, HE is STRONG!"