A couple weeks ago, I packed my little (or not so little) backpack and traveled on a bus to Toccoa Falls, GA. I was on my way to World Race Training Camp! For those of you who don't know, training camp is a week-long time of preparation for the Race where I meet the people that will travel with me, receive mental, emotional, and spiritual training, and get only a tiny glimpse of the major work that God wants to do in and through me over the next 11 months.
Most of the way to training camp I felt like something was wrong with me. Everyone else on my squad (my group of people going with me) was so excited and couldn't stop talking about how they couldn't wait to get there, but not me. I was just scared—of meeting new people, sticking out, the unknown, and all the craziness that could happen to me in a week.
And once I got there, it only got WORSE! I felt SOOOO uncomfortable. ALL the time.
I didn't like having to put myself out there and make new friends.
I didn't like having to introduce myself over and over and hope that someone wanted to be my friend.
I didn't like having to forge relationships and share my struggles.
I didn't like always wondering what people thought about me.
I didn't like having to wait to find out my team and then wonder what the next 11 months would be like with them.
I already didn't like the whole "community" thing. It was too hard and too much work.
But THANK GOD He doesn't care about what my feelings tell me I like! He places me in situations and leads me to do what's best for me and shaping me into the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).
God knows that I need the World Race, I needed Training Camp, and I need every single person that is on my squad. He also knows that I need to feel uncomfortable. ALL the time. Part of me actually likes being uncomfortable. It's the little part that we call the Holy Spirit. He knows that when I am uncomfortable, I am being challenged. I step outside of my comfort zone, complacency, and stagnant spiritual life and really get tested by God. Growth never comes easy and progress is never made without some fight, and in this case, if I want to grow I have to fight against myself. I have to fight against being comfortable. If I ever want to become the reflection of Christ and develop into the woman He wants me to be, I have to do a lot of things that I may not want to do. I have to put myself out there and take a chance on God because I know that He has nothing but the best for me. Everytime I make myself uncomfortable, I'm like a branch that is being pruned by the ultimate gardener (John 15:2). Pruning a branch is hard work and not pleasant, and being made better by God is the same way. I have to get dirty and be uncomfortable if I want all that He has for me.
This was my attitude (most of the time) at training camp and boy did God show up!
To read why being uncomfortable was a GOOD thing. Click here.
P.S. I challenge you tomorrow to step outside your comfort zone and do something uncomfortable that God is leading you to do. Forget about the "what ifs" or what others may think and do what you know will help you grow.
