Comfort Zone Stretching

“I’m not missions material.” 

“I don’t even like to go camping….What makes you think that I can handle a missions trip?”

“Missions isn’t my thing.”

“I don’t like bugs.”

“I’m high maintenance….I like my showers, blow dryer and straightener and make-up too much.”

“Well, when God calls me to the mission field, I’ll let you know.”

“So far He hasn’t called me.”

“Chris and Pam are leading the Uganda team this year.”

And all of a sudden, I felt a tug, an inexplicable touch on my heart. Although I tried to ignore it, it wouldn’t go away. I didn’t share it with anyone. I kept it to myself, because, after all if I shared this “tug” with anyone they would confirm what I had quite frankly already confirmed in my heart. I was going to Uganda. UGANDA!!!! Of all places for God to put on my heart, He chose Uganda. This didn’t take me at all by surprise because He’s all about taking us out of our “comfort zone” and Uganda takes me WAY OUT!

So, my OCD self started sorting through all the things going through my head. I immediately started planning some fundraising. I started searching the internet for information on preparation for a mission trip to Uganda. I thought of asking my husband’s aunt to make my skirts for the trip. I started taking my supplements and changing my eating to prepare myself, health wise, for the trip. I still hadn’t told anyone about going.

Finally, one day during our lunch break I told my friends that I had decided to get healthy because I was preparing myself for a trip to Uganda. They were ecstatic! I love the support that I get from them. They’re awesome. God saw it fit for me to come into this circle of people, who once were strangers to me, to prepare me for “such a time as this.” 

And so I continue to prepare for my December travels to Uganda. My heart is overwhelmed and expectant. 

And just like that (insert finger snap) my journey begins………

Expect Delays

The lit Cal-Trans sign stated, “Expect restroom delays.” Needless to say I was kind of confused and then, of course, we laughed. Why would they put that sign on the highway? It wasn’t until we were driving back home that I realized we had only read the second half of the message earlier that day. The first part of the sign indicated that the restrooms at the upcoming Rest Area were being worked on….so….”expect restroom delays.” Once we passed the Rest Area we could clearly see that the restrooms were being refurbished. I had misunderstood the sign because I had missed the first part of the message.

This made me think of my own impatience in life and how I’ve handled some of those inconveniences that life has thrown my way. You know what I’m talking about….those “hiccups” that come our way…the ones that we want resolved immediately; life’s wonderful tests and trials that we want answered without any “delays” so we can move on with life. We’re so used to living in the NOW mentality that this world has come to know. We have drive through everything….bank ATM machines, fast food, coffee, cleaners…maybe even some drive through wedding chapels in Las Vegas (not highly recommended). We want it all and we want it NOW!

But the Bible is full of scripture depicting waiting periods. The two that pop into my mind right now are Noah and Moses. Noah had to wait….Hello, the arc wasn’t built in a day and then the rain, the flood, the waiting period for the land to be dry again. Then there’s Moses….Does 40 years of going around the same mountain mean anything to anyone? The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” And Ecclesiastes 3: 11 states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” So, why do we stress over the delay?

When stuff happens, and I know we’ve all dealt with some kind of “stuff” at one point or another, we want it resolved quickly. We want it out of the way so we can move on. We pray for a quick response and a quick fix, which is fine, but, we need to remember to expect delays. But why???? Because, in those delays we get the first part of the message. In the delay we gain understanding of what God is trying to do through it all. In the delay, we come closer to the Father and learn about the work that He’s doing in our heart and in our life. In the delay there is time for us to come in contact with the outcome…..a refurbished heart and a renewed life.

So, the next time a problem, dilemma, hiccup comes our way, let’s remember to take the time to see the first part of the message and, at times, expect delays.

What are your walls saying?

So, yesterday an old Amy Grant song popped into my mind and I couldn’t stop singing it. Yes, some of you might not even know who Amy Grant is, but I used to love her music back in my early Christian days. The song used to bring tears to my eyes every time I heard it.

But, today, the more I sang the song over and over again, the more it made me think. If the walls in our home could talk, what would they say? Some of the things that popped into my head made me giggle and some, well, made me want to cry. Let’s face it, no household is perfect. No household is problem free. No household, no matter how much we try to cover it up or pretend, is spared from some kind of disruption at some point in time.

So, what would your walls say about your life as an individual, family, friend, spouse? As I look back, I can say that there are words engraved in the walls of my home that wouldn’t be 100% sweet or positive….hey I’m human and I live with other humans. We’ve had to deal with some major issues in our home and I haven’t always faced those situations with a happy face and happy thoughts. I’ve had major breakdowns….epic ones at that. But, when I think back, I have a lot of good, heartwarming memories that pop out of our walls…..baby homecomings, birthdays, anniversaries, grandbaby visits, laughter….so much laughter, tears…happy and sad ones.

Take a moment and evaluate the etched, engraved words on your walls. What are they saying? It’s easy for the good to be overtaken by the bad. If this is the case, a re-evaluation of the heart would be a good place to start. The Bible tells us in Matthew 12:34-35, “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Let’s take a moment to evaluate our hearts. What can we change so we can diminish the negativity in the walls and fill them with positive, good words and memories? It’s time to patch up the walls……….

And…..just in case you were wondering about the words to the song……

If These Walls Could Speak

Lead Me On (Amy Grant Album 1988)

If these old walls,
If these old walls could speak
Of things that they remember well,
Stories and faces dearly held,
A couple in love
Livin' week to week,
Rooms full of laughter,
If these walls could speak.

If these old halls,
Hallowed halls could talk,
These would have a tale to tell
Of sun goin' down and dinner bell,
And children playing at hide and seek
From floor to rafter,
If these halls could speak.

They would tell you that I'm sorry
For bein' cold and blind and weak.
They would tell you that it's only
That I have a stubborn strreak,
If these walls could speak.

If these old fashioned window panes were eyes,
I guess they would have seen it all -
Each little tear and sigh and footfall,
And every dream that we came to seek
Or followed after,
If these walls could speak.

They would tell you that I owe you
More than I could ever pay.
Here's someone who really loves you;
Don't ever go away.
That's what these walls would say.

They would tell you that I owe you
More than I could ever pay.
Here's someone who really loves you;
Don't ever go away.
That's what these walls would say.

That's what these walls would say.

That's what these walls would say.