Comfort Zone

Last time I had you go outside and be with yourself for a little while. Well, this time is going to require some action as well. This time I want you to go outside again (maybe you’re already outside...if that is the case..that’s great!); however, instead of spending time with yourself, I want you to spend time with others. Go to the quad and sit with a group of people you don’t know, or go to the park and talk to someone you don’t know. Maybe they’re playing volleyball––ask to join in. Maybe they’re playing basketball––ask to join in. Maybe there are kids playing with their imaginations––play with them, laugh with them. Take some time to be with other people. Allow your story to interact with theirs. Do this for as long as you want. I know it is uncomfortable, but life isn’t comfortable––good ole’ Donald says the same thing over and over again in the book. GO! and be with others. Listen to them, talk to them, see them, let them see you. It’s awkward, yes, but it is the story of humanity. I’m a very naturally shy person, honestly, but what is the worst that can happen to you? Someone says, “No, you can’t play with us.” That’s fine. Just say ok and go along your way. Someone looks at you and laughs at you––does that really define who you are? 

After doing that––I want you to write about it. What were your fears as you interacted with others? What were you thinking about? How did you listen? Write about being with other people––especially being with other people without an agenda. Just write at what your heart is telling you. Be honest, be raw. Be you and just write.

There’s a great quote that I’ve really been striving to live by the past couple years, but especially since I moved to Siloam: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” The church I go to back home is very big on worshipping in whatever way feels comfortable to you. When I first started going to church in my sophomore year, I always saw so many people with their hands held high, really, intensely going after God. I had worship envy. Eventually though, the more I grew in my relationship with God, the more ready I became to lift my hands in surrender to Him. I knew that to wholly surrender myself during worship, I would have to really step outside my comfort zone and get alone with God amidst a crowd of people, loud music, and bright lights. These days, it feels more strange for me to not be lifting my hands during worship, which just goes to show me that things in life that initially feel awkward to us can become normal if we let them.

Okay, to the prompt... I work at the Boys and Girls Club for my workstudy job. The other day, I worked in the gym/yard for the first time. Since I started, I have become accustomed to helping kids with homework, doing arts and crafts, building with Legos, and playing bumper pool. It’s been a while since I’ve played monkey in the middle or H-O-R-S-E with dozens of hyper kids. Working in the other areas, I play with mostly the same kids every day. Riley, Robby, Breanna in the computer room...Gracie, Anatalia, Jasmine in the art room...Lisa, Layla, Lilly in the games room... Staff members aren’t supposed to play favorites, but honestly, we naturally do. Many of my “favorites,” my usual kids, simply don’t hang out in the gym. Being in there put me around several kids I wasn’t familiar with. It was a little overwhelming to say the least. This may sound silly, but I was watching a group of little boys play football, and eagerly wanted to jump in. These boys, though, are at that awkward preteen age where they feel like they have to act like a punk to be cool. Growing up, I was the biggest tomboy ever. Skateboarding and football were some of my favorite things.  Still, I watched from the sidelines in envy. I kept envisioning these sad scenarios where the boys would laugh at me for being a girl and trying to play football with them. It was kind of like I turned into my ten-year-old self, but without the self-confidence I once had about “being one of the boys.” Then I remembered that quote about life starting outside my comfort zone, and I got up and intercepted one of their passes. We ended up playing a made-up version of monkey in the middle, football style, and I can honestly say it is the most fun I’ve had in a while. To their surprise, they kept complimenting my football skills, and more boys ended up joining our game. We played until it was eventually time to close the gym down, and some of them even stayed to help clean up. It was really nice to be able to retreat back to my childhood for a while, remember what a sporty kid I used to be, and make some new friends all the while. All because I stepped outside my comfort zone.

Thought Questions

1. What does the quote “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” mean, and how does it apply to your life experiences?

2. When is the last time you stepped outside your comfort zone to further God’s kingdom or your relationship with Him?