Get Uncomfortable

I am the type of person that always follows a schedule, always sits in the same chair, and keeps everything nice and orderly. I am comfortable just staying inside all of the time and not meeting new people. I find it scary to change my routine or to do something a different way. Just sitting in a different chair makes me uncomfortable. Last year worked perfectly because I never left my room, so I never had to feel completely uncomfortable. Of course with the surgery I was never really comfortable physically but by doing the same things every single day I was psychologically comfortable.

For my major I have to take a class called "Interpersonal Communication". I was thinking that it would just be a regular lecture like my COM class last semester; I have been sadly mistaken. In this course we are required to step out of our comfort zone to see everything from a different perspective. The first couple weeks I dreaded going to that class because we were forced to mingle, and to learn about each other and observe proper and improper behavior. Slowly I have started to accept the fact that there are going to be many times in my life that I feel uncomfortable, and it has just taken me until now to be challenged. I am still a little nervous to break out of my shell, but I can do this.

This class has kind of helped me in other ways as well. For instance, last night the Student Government and the Campus Activity Board, sponsored what they called a "Space Lounge". Last year they held this same event with a different theme, but I refused to go because that would require me to stay out "late" and have fun on a school night. This year I decided to just go for it, so I went and actually enjoyed myself. It was a guilt free, safe, Thursday night activity.

From all of this I have come to realize that this doesn't just apply to my life here at school, but it applies to my life as a Christian. There have been times that I have had the chance to witness but I was too afraid to go up to a stranger. The other blockage in my life is the fear that once I tell someone about Christ, they are going to ask me questions, and if I can't answer them, I am afraid that the person I am speaking with will look down on me and not hear the message that I was trying to send.

I am probably not the only one who feels uncomfortable talking to people that we don't know. So I am challenging myself as well as you, to step outside of the comfort zones that we cling to and let God give you confidence to share the Word. This weekend, don't hesitate to tell someone of the glory of the Lord, just do it. Step out of your shell and make a difference.