So, I have heard of this thing called a comfort zone, but I like to think mine is more like a box. I stay in that box because it's comfortable. You may be thinking "yeah right, you're on a trip around the world as a missionary, you don't have a comfort box." Oh, but there is still a box. Today, I just want to share one way I have stepped out of that box. I have never liked the idea of going up to people cold turkey and telling them that Jesus loves them and that He can give them freedom. I do believe both of those things, but I don’t want to shove Jesus down anyone’s throat, because He is a gentle God not an abrasive God that wants people to come to Him, but will never force anyone to do so.
Then, there was a woman who entered my life on this race who is passionate about evangelizing by just meeting people where they are. Sometimes she tells people about Jesus and sometimes she just gets to know them and lets them know she cares. She always goes with the intent of sharing Jesus. So BAM, we are in the same place with free time and I ask if she wants to go to the gym with me. She says sure, but she was planning to go to the park and evangelize. Somehow I ended up saying I would go with her. She even gave me an out by having other people lined up to go as well and telling me if I didn’t want to I didn’t have to. But, I said I need to be pushed out of my comfort zone and I will go.
Let me back up for a second. The night before we had just arrived in Granada, Nicaragua. Quickly, we met a young man of twelve years old named Miguel. He won the heart of one of my teammates and within an hour of arriving, we went to dinner and Miguel was our honored guest. He spent a little while with us and had dinner. Then he headed home.
Back to the evangelism, I kept my commitment and ended up in the park with five other people. We split up into two groups and I was the Spanish speaker in mine. My Spanish is improving, but I am definitely not fluent nor would I normal refer to myself as a Spanish speaker. So, after fumbling through some conversations and prayers with a few people, I saw Miguel in the park. We went to talk to him and he introduced us to his mom and family. We began talking to his mom and asking her if she knew Jesus. She acknowledged God, but did not have a personal relationship with Him. So, somehow God gave me enough words to translate what my teammate was saying so that this woman could hear how Jesus died for her and how easy it is to trust in Him. She prayed to accept Christ right there in the middle of the park. Miguel was listening to everything and also wanted to accept Christ there in the middle of the park.
Lesson I learned from this- step out of your comfort zone and God will blow your mind! I have been learning this a lot lately. This is just the biggest instance so far with the most impact on someone’s life. So, get to know yourself and the things that make you uncomfortable and then do those things!
PS…we are in Palacaguina, Nicaragua and have been doing some massive construction work these week. I have the blistered hands to prove it. I will write more about this and post another blog in the next couple of days. Thank you so much for your support! I still need $$$$ to stay on this journey, please consider donating and sharing with others that you may know who would want to invest.
