The Comfort Zone

Today is very very cold. It's my first very very cold day since we arrived in South Africa. I've even decided to keep the kids home from school. It's -3 Celsius, and factoring in the windchill feels like -12. That's like 11 degrees Farenheit! And in this country, central heating just doesn't happen.

So here I sit, with my laptop, in bed under my nice thick duvet. Oh, yeah! It's comfortable. Much better than standing on those cold hard tiles and cooking breakfast! Of course, the family will go hungry, the house won't get cleaned, and my friends will think I've died.

Comfort - a nice cozy place...no danger...no challenges... all fuzzy, happy feelings and coosh.

It's something we always strive for, isn't it? A nice job, a nice savings account, the house of your dreams... but once you get there, it just isn't satisfying.

Comfort and complacency seem to go hand in hand. Once we are all comfy, we tend to get lazy. And then life seems hollow.

My coming to South Africa was all about getting out of my comfortable rut. New adventure! New culture! And while it seemed like it would be so exhilerating, once I landed my feet on this red earth, I realized it was not going to be as easy or as fun as I thought. I had to kind of just push up my sleeves (or hike up my pants, Urkel style!) and just kind of plunge in. It's had its embarrassing moments (You try to be friendly to someone who doesn't have a clue what you just said, or why you would want to say it in the first place!), but it's also been rewarding.

What could be rewarding enough to give up that comfortable existence I once had? Is it the excitement? I'm not an adreneline junky! The adventure itself? No ways... It has been all worth it because it has taken me to a deeper faith...and closer relationship with God.

When everything familar is gone and the strangeness around you is overwhelming, when you realize you are in deeper than you ever planned to be...it's awesome to know that there is a Rock and Refuge to run to - and that Rock is the very one who is leading you and guiding you. Stretching you, Refining you, and showing you every day more of Himself. It's less about being in a place that is comfortable, and more about being closer to the One who made you. Worth it all.