I could have named my blog something about leaving my comfort zone, because it seems like I’ve been doing a lot of that.
In The Birth of Curren Christian Academy, I shared how we began homeschooling. That was a big leap out of my comfort zone. My biggest fear in homeschooling was that I wouldn’t do a good enough job and that my kids’ futures would be compromised. I prayed and asked God for His guidance every step of the way. For our school motto I chose Phillipians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” to serve as a reminder that I wasn’t in it alone. Now with our homeschooling completed, I can look back and see His hand in our lives and that He was faithful to work through me. Because of that, it has become easier for me to take on new challenges that send me beyond my comfort zone.
What Does the Future Hold?
When our younger child graduated, I asked God what was next. While homeschooling my kids, my entire world seemingly revolved around them. If I wasn’t teaching them, I was reading about homeschooling, comparing curriculum, planning field trips, or running my taxi service. In contrast, my future looked like a blank canvas. In some ways it was exciting as I thought about spending more time with my husband and pursuing my own interests, but in other ways I worried about feeling empty.
It didn’t take long for God to point me in a new direction which, again, took me out of my comfort zone. It was another area that I hadn’t had any prior experience with. God was faithful in homeschooling, so this time it was a little easier to step out in faith and find out what He thought I had to offer, or what He wanted me to learn.
Titus 2
In my younger years, when anticipating this time of life, I hoped that I might follow the teaching in Titus 2:3-5:
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
With perfect timing, our church started a new women’s ministry based on that passage. It, too, took me out of my comfort zone because as an introvert I had to push myself to do things I wasn’t comfortable with such as meeting new people, teaching, and leading prayers.
Blogging
Yet another leap was my decision to start blogging, to put myself “out there” and share some of my experiences. I’m hoping that there might be some who would enjoy reading about them, and that I might encourage other homeschooling mothers just beginning their journey.
Forcing myself out of my comfort zone means trusting God as I venture into unknown territory and learn new ways of serving Him.
God Calling
God has a way of calling us out of our comfort zones. If He is calling you out of yours, whether to homeschool your children, or some other new ministry, then I encourage you to step out in faith. It won’t be easy, but it doesn’t all depend on you. Just allow Him to work through you.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30 New International Version)
Answer the call. Your faith will be strengthened and you will be blessed, just outside your comfort zone.
Comments
I love this bible verse! Matthew 11:29-30! I’m going through a major change that has turned my life upside down, but I am trusting in God and know that his intentions are good and never failing.
Author
I’m glad to hear that. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Great post! As an Unschooling parent I prayed intently about the direction of our children’s education and having the children learn via textbooks and memorizing facts to get scores just never sat right in my heart. While I missed that feeling of “walking to school everyday in the crisp fall” it wasn’t enough to justify raising our children contrary to what I expected them to be able to do as adults – FOLLOW the Lord! Everyday asking Him “What do you have for me to do today Lord? Your will first, not mine.” Asking my children to life 0-18 in a predetermined way by any other power other then the Lord was counterproductive to me as a believer :). I’m so glad to find like minded men and women who realize education is never ending and following the Lord is first and foremost. I also prayed the Lord would show me how to educate the children and thankfully, He showed me the first mention of Jesus (other than His birth) was when He was 12 years old in the temple. This ministered greatly to me because to me, it reaffirmed children need to learn about the things of God most from 0-12 and that learning is done through love and play!
Author
Thank you for your wonderful comment. I couldn’t agree more!
Homeschooling has definitely been something to take me far away from my comfort zone! Always meeting new people is not something I ever planned to do 🙂 It used to be an almost painful experience for me to have to make phone calls about bill related things (like calling the hospital to set up a payment plan, or telling somebody they charged too much, or changing services). I absolutely hated it. Now it’s not a big deal. And now we are working on improving eating habits, and it is SO hard at times to get beyond wanting to eat a cookie for “comfort”, to choosing to not eat or to eat something healthy instead. Sounds silly, but it’s really hard… just in a different way from the whole talking to strangers thing 🙂
Author
We all have different comfort zones. I don’t really like making those phone calls, either. Nothing has helped with that. LOL
It finally doesn’t bother me. Well… most of the time. I just get annoyed at being put on hold when there are children needing attention in the background!
Author
Or how about just trying to talk to a human?!
Loved this post!
I was in my comfort zone the entire time I had children in my home–25 years!
Now I’m retired from home schooling and my husband has retired, too, and wow. It’s a whole new world and not always totally comfy. 😀
Author
Very similar to how I feel! It’s good to know that.