Out Of My Comfort Zone

SOWN has been such a blessing to me.  For those of you who don't know what SOWN is, it's a women's Bible study group that was founded by Laura Whitmore, my pastor's wife.  She felt God leading her to write a Bible study and she's now done 3. SOWN isn't an acronym; it comes from the parable of the sower.  SOWN's vision is to have Christ do a supernatural work in our lives by positioning ourselves in the Word.  "This work will include seeing the Truths of the Word 'sown' into our lives, where they will become deeply rooted, eventually yielding a harvest that will profoundly affect those around us."

Doesn't that sound powerful?  To have the Truth sown into the core of who we are so that everything we do is lived through Christ and the Truth He brought us?! 

I wanted to do the Colossians Bible study with SOWN that Laura did in the fall.  But everything stopped me....life, excuses.  Really it was excuses, so I didn't sign up.  The Philippians Bible study rolled around in February and I decided I would start.  And then came the excuses....every Sunday for 3 weeks, I found some reason or another to not sign up and get the book.  One day, after church on week 4 (the last week to pre-register), it was like God was literally saying to me, "Are you stupid?  Are you not paying attention to what I'm telling you?"  So, I walked out to the lobby and joined the class.

AND GOD DELIVERED.

I have grown through this study.  I have learned things that I thought I already had a pretty good grasp of, only to be shown that I still had a lot of growing to do!  I have never been more "in it" for God. 

This last day of homework, Week 10-Day 5, had me doing so much reflection on where God has me, and I wanted to share with all of you.

"Today, I am wondering if you have found yourself smack dab in the middle of circumstances that you would have never, in a million years chosen for yourself.  Anyone?  To be sure, there are times, because of poor choices on our part, we end up in places we never anticipated going.  I am talking about something different here.  For whatever reason, God has taken you down a path you probably wouldn't have chosen for yourself.  Could it be because there is something of eternal significance at stake?"

I grew up in an independent, fundamental Baptist church.  It's all I've ever known.  If it wasn't "hell, fire, and damnation" preaching, I didn't want it.  I loved that my pastor shouted.  I loved that he pounded his fist on the pulpit. I loved hearing the amens from the congregation. 

And then God moved me.  Literally.  To another church.  I went through my second divorce and I found a class that sounded good, one that I thought would help me work through the pain of a divorce.  DivorceCare.  It was offered at Cheyenne Hills, a non-denominational church; a good church, but nothing I was interested in.  I just wanted the class!  So I went through the 13-week course and God made some decisions for me that were so far out of my comfort zone, I was scared....seriously.  I was asked to help teach the class and that meant coming to Cheyenne Hills. I wouldn't have chosen this for me.  I love to teach and help people, but teaching a class with the stigma that I felt always surrounded me (being divorced twice, with a child from each of my husbands) had me worried.  Teaching in a non-denominational church petrified me. 

But I did it.  I left a church where I had been for 8 years, where my growth had become stagnant, and where my Light had become dim, and He moved me to the most unlikely spot.

And I love it! Because of this move to a new church, God has given me such a heart for those who are hurting from a divorce or separation.  He has used both Pastor Galen and Pastor Roger to help shape me as a strong Christian and to draw closer to God.  He has used Laura to build my character and strength.  He has used Brandi and Chris, my small group leaders at SOWN, to create friendships and lifelong Christian alliances.  And I have NEVER looked back.  God did it for a reason, and I'll never question how He works.

What about you?  Has God sent you down a path where you thought, "WHOA!!!  What are You doing?" but just trusted Him to help you see it through?