The Discomfort Zone
My family moved around a lot while I was growing up. Between kindergarten and the twelfth grade I attended seven schools, lived in five different cities, double that many homes, and went to five different churches. The numbers just get higher if you add my life before and after school age. I am a shy introvert by nature, but all of our moving really helped me learn to step outside of my comfort zone when it came to meeting new people and making friends. Experience taught me that staying within the realms of comfort did not magically bring joy in each of my new situations. I had to take risks and put myself out there to make friends and have a fun school experience. I still have the same introvert struggles as an adult, but now they play out in areas such as greeting visitors at church, inviting people to our home, investing in the lives of younger women, and most importantly, sharing the gospel. My "comfort zone" tells me how happy I am wallowing in my own selfish presence,...