For those of you who did not know me growing up one of the words most used to describe me was shy. My brothers and I were known as the shy Madsen children. I was scared to be called on in class and did not like group settings. I preferred to be with a few close friends that I was comfortable around or spend time alone reading a good book. Over time as I grew up some of the spirit of shyness left me and I was able to be more comfortable with people but I still found myself reverting back to this in new settings were I wasn’t comfortable. At the start of the race this spirit was heavy on me as I was so far out of my comfort zone. In a new country and surrounded by people I did not know doing things that I did not feel I was good at.
One thing I am learning on the race is that God did not give me a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, love and self discipline( 2Tim 1:7) God calls each of us to live a life of courage and boldness. I have noticed that each time that God asks me to speak up and talk to someone that he prepares me ahead of time and gives me the words to say. He has never left me and is walking so closely to me that I feel him leading me. God is always with us and he wants to see us step out of our comfort zone and be people of boldness with no fear.
Today during children’s church we taught the children the story of Jonah and the whale that is in the bible. Jonah does not want to do what God is asking him to do so he runs away and gets on a boat to escape God. God does not let him go that easily he causes a great storm. The other people on the boat are so afraid that when they find out that God caused the storm because of what Jonah did they threw him into the water. God saves his life and a big fish swallows him so that he doesn’t die and when Jonah finally decides to do what God has asked him to do he is spit up on the shore. I think that what this story is saying is that even if you are afraid God is not going to let you go he will continue to pursue you until you realize that what he is asking you to do is only because he loves you and wants the best for you. God does not what us to sit home and worry or be afraid he wants us to live lives of courage and greatness. He has great plans for each of us.
