Sunday, October 2, 2011

Comfort Zone

I'm a comfy clothes, comfy home, comfy life kind-a person. I love comfy! I can't say I love my comfort zone. I am used to it, but that doesn't mean that I love it. Actually, there are parts of my comfort zone that I really hate!

This year I started the year by telling God I would do whatever He told me to do this year. I became involved in praying at church. I started a Life Group with my brother and sister-in-law. I started going to another Life Group too. I went to Haiti. Next summer I want to go to Kenya (hoping that God makes that happen.) I started attending church at the Monroe campus. And today, I went to a meeting to start a new ministry at church, at the Weddington campus.

There was a prayer group started up in February when Garren Janes' AVM ruptured. It was so hard at first. I have to admit I felt guilt. I had prayed just a few days before that Garren would be a witness to one of his friends. Then his AVM ruptured and I thought, "that is not what I meant!" I cried, a lot! When I shared my guilt with a friend she helped me see that God already had this as part of His plan. Now, I know that God has used Garren and his family to witness to so many more people than just the one friend I prayed he would.

As Garren started to improve the group started to pray for more areas of our church and people and the group got smaller and smaller. It shrunk to the day it was just me and one other. Then it stopped with a promise to make a plan to start it again at some point. Well, this morning a small group meet to talk about a new ministry of prayer.

There were five of us and two pastors who meet and discussed praying during services. There will be people praying at both services and even people to pray at the end of services with people who need it. I realize I will have to pray during the 9 AM service so I can still drive over to the Monroe campus for service, at least that is my plan. Well, this is a little out of my comfort zone, but that isn't the real step out that I made today.

During the meeting we were asked if we would like to be both the ones who pray "in private" as well as praying "in public". My first thought was, "NO!" I am not qualified to pray with other people about their needs. Not only am I not qualified, I am not comfortable doing it. But my answer wasn't, "no". So, I guess I am taking another one of those "out of my comfort zone" steps, and it feels pretty good!

There are other comfort zones I need to get out of, at work, in my personal relationships. I need my steps out in my spiritual walk to transfer to those areas in my life too. I am excited, anxious, and all sorts of mixed up feelings when I think about stepping out in those areas.

I wonder if I will even recognize the me from January 1, 2011.