NO PARKING in our Comfort Zone!

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" [Isaiah 43:18-19]

Most of us can admit that the majority of things in life get easier as we establish routines for ourselves. Whether its a new route to work or school, a new job, a new schedule, an addition to the family, a new boss, a new relationship, heading a new ministry or the like, once we get to know the intricacies of the task (s) at hand, formulate a plan of attack and execute, in due time performing the task becomes second nature to us. We simply have to dedicate the time necessary to find our way through the "maze". Once this has been done, we can complete the tasks without even thinking about them and can even begin to multitask because the said tasks take less of our time and effort-WE ARE TRULY IN OUR "COMFORT ZONE".




We have to learn that God knows in advance all that is to happen for us and each experience, especially the difficult ones that we complain the most about, are necessary preparations for our God-given destiny! I made it through the first week back and will continue to "press" forward and try my best to not look back. I now clearly remember a sermon by Joel Olsteen about how God wants to do something new in our lives, but we continue to look in the rearview mirror at what we had. How can we drive forward into what God has for us if we are constantly looking back??

Contrarily, what happens when you are called to do something different?? How do we react to change? Do we complain and contest the change and fight it the entire way? After all, things would be so much easier if things remained the same. God, however, knows what we need to help us to grow. If things were always easy and we could do them without stretching our thinking and thinking "outside the box" to perservere, then how could we get better? I can relate to this very experience right now. I began a new sales position in April of 2010 and shortly thereafter discovered that I was pregnant. We all know that it is difficult enough to start a new job without the obstacle of uncontrolled fatigue thwarting our efforts of getting up and running. I was able to overcome the fact that I was assigned to a previously neglected territory, that my team had a management change mid-year, and even that I was having a difficult pregnancy.  I finally turned my territory around and had begun to produce a positive bottom line prior to my going out on maternity leave. I was told that while I was out, that the main accounts would be moved and assigned to various reps until I returned.

 
After three glorious months of taking care of my beloved son and cringing at the very idea of returning back to work and taking him to daycare, I begrudgingly made my appearance on my first day back this week only to learn that I now have a brand new territory! Not one of the accounts that I worked so diligently on to produce positive results would be mine any longer. All of the relationships that I built over the previous 9 months were for naught.....I'd have to START ALL OVER!! I also gained the insight during the meeting with my manager, based on comments that were made, that she does not have the confidence in my abilities that I would like. Despite the lack of support that I've received, and my initial success, I'd have to prove myself again! The Holy Spirit whispered a portion of the infamous Psalm 23 "you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies". Despite this fact, I couldn't help but to think all week of how easy the transition would be if I had my old territory, how this week would have been about simply showing off my baby pictures and making my rounds. I did as most of us do, I complained to everyone that would listen. It was not until I was speaking to one of my dear friends that I gained a different perspective. I realized that God has another plan. He knows that if I am going to be successful in my desire to own my own business, that I'd have to continually reinvent myself and constantly overcome obstacles that get in the way of my success. He knows that I will have to deal with "difficult" people and those that don't want me to succeed in order to cross the finish line; therefore, He is preparing me now for what is to come.

In essence, we need to stop "parking" in our comfort zones, pray for guidance and strength to embrace change, and STRETCH into the destiny that God has for us!

"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it." [Ecclesiastes 3:14]

Love...laugh....live...life is short~ Sheree