joy.

joy.

it tends to come in all shapes and sizes. smiles and laughter. giggles and squeals. sweet hugs and holding of hands.

i don't know if you've been out of the country. i don't know where your travels have taken you. you may have not even traveled outside of your neighborhood, but there is one place that everyone in their life has to travel outside of. its unknown and scary. this place is....

your comfort zone

photo cred Laura Murtha

that place is so scary, you can hardly bring yourself to do it. it makes your heart race, palms sweat, and words jumble. but have you ever been outside the nice warm glow of your comfort zone? there was a time when i thought my comfort zone was the best place to be. 

surely God doesn't want you to have a hard life...right? surely God wants you to be comfortable...surely.

think again.

its not even that He wants you to have a hard life, you will. He promises it. the Word is full of examples where the christian life isn't about roses and rainbows...its building an ark when everyone thinks you're nuts. its walking into a fire, to your certain death. its being barren for almost your entire life. its hanging out with people who are difficult to love.

but with all those difficult circumstances come incredible blessings. a family saved from a flood that destroyed all people. walking out of a fire without burns and not smelling of smoke. its having a child that God's promise rests on. its you, me, and anyone who hears the sweet words of Jesus. they can be things we may or may not see while on this earth. blessings that make you so thankful that your bones ache. you know what i'm talking about? the kinds that make you want to shout from the rooftops how good the Lord is.

photo cred. Laura Murtha

comforts are nice. trust me...i love my bed. and i LOVE air conditioning. i love hot showers, and a good hamburger, and giant milkshakes...but that isn't what God called me to, is it?

He called me to get my feet dirty and filled with menacing sand fleas. He called me to hold the tiny, dirt covered hands of little children. He called me to slip in rice paddies. for what?

His name's sake

isn't that what we are all called to? do something...whatever that thing may be...for His glory? is there anything more important? i don't think there is...nor will there ever be anything more important.

His glory is worth every hardship. He is worth getting outside yourself. God is so good, that even when you do honor Him, He gives you blessings for that. you want to know what they look like?

sweet little voices yelling your name as they run down the street. its a friend taking you to his house so you can eat from his litchi tree before the litchi is ready to be eaten. its running from pousse pousse drivers who insist on "driving" you to your next destination. its being able to sing your favorite Malagasy worship song, Ary Teny, not knowing what the words mean, but knowing that its the only song you can actually remember.

our lives should be lived outside our comfort zones. blessings upon blessings await us on the other side. it was once said 

God is already waiting for you where He will take you.

Jack Fiscus

with that kind of assurance, why would you not want to live where God is taking you? i don't know about you, but i choose to live there...forever. where is your comfort zone? God is already waiting outside it for you. wherever that may be for you, be there.

"Aslan is a lion-the Lion, the great Lion." "Ohh," said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

Chronicles of Narnia