Comfort Zones

          We all have our own comfort zones and we try to stay safely inside them.  We develop our comfort zones over a long period of time based on our experiences, interests, our likes and dislikes, our exposures to different things and our environment.  Someone who grew up in a family that traveled to many different states and countries is going to have a much different comfort zone than someone who grew up in a family that went to a nearby campground as their annual family vacation.  If you never learned to swim, your comfort level around water is going to be very different than someone who always had a pool in their backyard.  The older we get the harder it becomes to step out of our comfort zone.  

          My husband grew up on a hog farm and has no problem being around livestock at the state fair, on the other hand I was a city girl and while I love animals, I was never around large animals so I would prefer to skip the whole livestock section of the fair.  However, it's an experience he remembers as a way of life, he had to help on the farm because it was their livelihood and hiring someone meant cutbacks on other expenses, so the kids all chipped in and did their share.  I want him to be able to share those memories and experiences with our children so I hold my breath and watch where I step and follow along.  He tells stories of falling off a grain bin, spitting out of the hayloft, and tormenting pigs with various antics.  I grew up in a family that traveled on vacations.  By the time I graduated from high school, I had been to Canada, Mexico and at least 20 states.  I had never flown and had only stayed in a hotel on a school trip.  We loaded into the family sedan and towed a camper that had been given to my parents.  I could properly start a campfire by myself by age seven, though I wouldn't dream of handing my eight-year-old a match.  I saw Taos Pueblo, the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, a plaque marking the continental divide, Colorado Springs at night from 100 miles away, and watched my mom haggle with a souvenir shop owner in Mexico.  We pumped our fists to get truck drivers to honk at us, played the alphabet game and auto bingo.  We learned to identify constellations, flora, fauna and how to make plaster casts of animal footprints along a trail.  I learned how to properly toast a marshmallow and the best way to layer a hobo dinner.  However, if I even mention the word road-trip to my husband, he becomes very tense and opens every electronic mapping program he can find and compares routes, prints 37 copies of the final choice - in case he loses one - and 23 gray hairs magically appear at his temples. 

          If you've never been to church, your comfort level when asked to pray for someone is quite different than that of someone who has gone every Sunday their entire life - except once when they were five and had chickenpox.  Learning to step outside your comfort zone helps you grow into a stronger more well-rounded individual in all aspects of your life.  It's the same for Christians.  We don't all grow up as the child of a preacher and recite Bible verses at the dinner table for entertainment. We struggle with different areas of our faith.  The first time my husband and I joined a life group, I found it inspiring.  He found it nerve wracking.  I was more comfortable in my faith so sharing the experiences of it came more easily.  He had been raised in the church as a child, but hadn't attended regularly in some time when we got married.  I had attended youth retreats and was involved in youth group, whereas he remembered his mom making him sing in the children's choir. Our comfort levels weren't at the same place.  I expected him to notice this and step it up.  I mean after all, I couldn't revert backward, could I?  The best he could expect was for me to level off while he caught up.  I finally realized I needed to help him get to the next level.  I work better with kids, so this was tough for me because I knew if I wasn't careful I'd dumb it down too much and insult him.  I decided to pray for him.  After a few weeks, I didn't notice any changes or light bulb moments for him, so I took it to my small group.  There is strength in numbers and it made a difference.  I'm at the phase where I would love to make an annual mission trip as our family vacation.  My husband is NOT there.  He finally got to the place when I told him I really want to go, that he doesn't ask why.  The last time, he said if it was that important to me, then he would help me work it out and raise the money.  

          When you find yourself in an unfamiliar situation how do you respond?  Do you run?  Do you hope it will end soon?  Or do you consider it an adventure?  If you aren't sure how to take the next (or first) step in your faith, start by praying about it.  Here's a simple prayer to get you started if you aren't comfortable with that step yet:  

Heavenly Father, I'm ready to begin a new journey with you as my guide.  Help me to understand that you have a plan for me and that you will reveal it as I'm ready.  I need guidance as I start the next step of my faith. Amen.

Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.  

As you step outside your comfort zone, know that God is with you, He'll pick you up when you fall and He'll light your path if you ask him to.  God has manners, he will not go where he is not asked so invite him in and He will bring His blessing on you.