As I sat in church this past Sunday, I noticed that my leg was still peppered with Honduras bug bites that were in shades of red matching my red heels. It was obvious which ones have itched more than the others. I suddenly decided I should have worn pants.
Have you ever had bad underwear that once you put on, you remember that you swore to throw them away after the last time you wore them? You know the kind that just gets all on your nerves and seems to flair up most when you are in a public place. You may have found yourself in aisle of the grocery store trying to "adjust" after a couple of double checks to make sure the aisle was clear. You back yourself into a spot that you hope is out of the way of security cameras and then you realize you probably look guilty of shoplifting.
Then there are those Friday nights where you are single and lonely. You gather the BFF's at the last minute in an attempt to boost your spirits. As you scan your closet, you look for the cutest thing possible to wear that just might attract the last good guy left out there. You pick the shoes that hurt, the jeans that pinch, and the lipstick that is the brightest.
Now, what do all of these things have in common? They all make us uncomfortable. Uncomfortable to a point that we take action and do something about it. Comfort was on my mind at 3:45 this morning when I couldn't sleep. In my brief moments of deep huffs and tossing, I thought about the soldier's wives that are uncomfortable sleeping alone due to their loss. I prayed for them. I thought of the friend who is anxiously waiting for test results. I prayed for her. I thought of the lady whose son was maliciously killed for no reason other than his skin color. I prayed for her. I thought of my family member who didn't get the job and wondered why God didn't answer that one the way I thought He should. I prayed again anyway. Then it hit me. Maybe loving God is uncomfortable at times so we will take action and do something to make a difference.
Proverbs 16:9 says it so well. "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps". Whatever God does to affect your comfort zone is for the greater good for you and His plan. He doesn't allow us to be uncomfortable to make us miserable. He allows it so we make a difference. I know that when I am most comfortable I am usually still. Whether it is in a chair on the beach, in my husband's arms or on a massage table I can assure you I am totally relaxed and good for nothing. If God intended for all of us to be comfortable then we wouldn't be pushed to pray. We wouldn't be burdened to bless and we wouldn't look to love the unlovable.
If you are looking for a comfort zone, then God isn't it. However there is a peace and comfort that can only come from God and it far outweighs the uncomfortableness of allowing Him to choose the steps. I can assure you comfort now just might mean really uncomfortable later. Embrace getting out of your comfort zone today. Realize that God has His eye on you and He has a plan just for you that will make you feel so loved and special when you are open to whatever He has in mind.
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