Time To Dive In! … Hello Hump Day Readers. I have a question for you? Has God ever called you out of your comfort zone? Think about it, what was the outcome? What impact did it have on your life? Did it bring you closer to God? I’m asking the question because there are so many times where God calls us to do something but we are not sure if it’s God’s calling to us or someone else—even our own minds?

When we were kids at the resort in northern Wisconsin, we couldn’t wait for the ice to melt and the lake be ready for skiing and swimming. We would encourage one another to just go for it, jump in—get it over with. That water was dang cold, my heart would just race like a racehorse and deep down I wondered if this was not very good for my body. Most of the time, I went in and got out—FAST! Some of the other kids would just keep going in and out and even though they were shivering, they kept doing it. I would smile and wave at them and say “I’ll just watch, OK?” Usually I left because I felt well, kind of dumb.

The interesting part of my watching was that it became a barrier. Little-by-little I finally decided to “do one more dive” and then it became one more-one more and I just kept diving.  I loved to dive, then get out quickly, take a breath and do it again. I think God was already preparing me to become an EMT and then a Paramedic. Oh yes, I dove but then it was not for me, it was to save a life.

Being out of our comfort zone is also a stretch for our minds. We can imagine all kinds of tragedies that “could come out of” doing something daring. For many of us, some of the toughest things we’ve had to go through is sharing our faith. It’s easier to say “let the pastors do it” but then we forget that we are “we are God’s royal priesthood” and we are called to share the Gospel…yikes God, that is just a bit too much out of my comfort zone.

Think of the disciples, Andrew and Simon—first ones Jesus called out. In Mark 1:17-18, using The Message translation, we can almost smile hearing Jesus’ call to them:

“Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he [Jesus], saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. Jesus called to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.”

Talk about “out of their comfort zones!” Did they know what it meant, that they would be away from their homes, families, jobs—literally away from everything they knew? No, they didn’t, but the fact that they “immediately left their old lives and followed Christ” gives us a powerful clue: “the power of Christ works in our heart, soul, and our MINDS” like a magnet that reels in a lost ‘key’—and friends, Jesus wants that ‘key’ of our lives. He doesn’t want us saying, “Oh, you go ahead, I’ll just watch.” He wants us to dive in with all that we have.

When I felt God tapping me on the shoulder to go to seminary you know what I did? I laughed out loud, “really God, I’m thinking you have the wrong person—women can’t do that.” But the tapping continued over and over again and I knew God was calling and I had to respond. I’d been through college for medicine and music. Apparently God liked the idea of a ‘3M’ person and tacked on ministry. There were days I wondered what the heck I was doing and the immediate answer was “my child, I’m right here at your side, trust me.”

God can be very persistent. We may hesitate on the call but God doesn’t stop the invitation. God nudges, then puts the Holy Spirit to work—and that “mothering spirit” whispers in our ears until we finally “dive in.” It’s scary, it will make us wonder about our future, or if our friends think we have gone bonkers. But—that dive can change not only our lives, but also the lives of our family, friends, and the people around us who need the love of Jesus.

Is God calling you to step out of your comfort zone? Trust God. God will be there to catch you, and together you will find adventures and amazing experiences you would never have thought of. So go ahead—dive in! God’s precious water of life is there for you—always. AMEN.