“When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ‘Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said. ‘He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’
‘O unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’
He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’
When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.’ And the disciples were filled with grief.”
-Matthew 17:14-23 (NIV)
I love Jesus’ reply when the disciples come to him asking why they couldn’t heal the boy…“Because you have so little faith…” Have you ever prayed…asking God for things that you think you may need or want, and after waiting for a few minutes, take care of them yourself!? Did you think that God wasn’t going to do anything about it?!
Sometimes, we as humans doubt in what God can do or what He will do. And sometimes, we even underestimate His power. Remember that He was the one who rose from the dead and triumphed over every evil! Remember that He saved every person on this earth from death by making a way to God for us! Remember what it felt like to know that you were forgiven. To know that you were healed. Remember what it feels like to have Him working in your life to make you the best person that you can be.
It doesn’t take much faith to believe in what God will do…only about as much as a mustard seed...
How much faith do you have???
Originally written on Friday, April 9, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Dusting the Grass
Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 (NIV)
“‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!’ What does a man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”
As I was driving home with my sister more than a week ago, she tells this story: “So my grandma calls, and she says, “Hi! Can you come dust?” So, I say “NO!” An hour or two passes and my grandma calls again and she says “Can you come dust?” Again, I say “no.” One last time my grandma calls and says, “Can you come dust?” and I say ‘Fine.” So I go over there and I see her dusting. But she isn’t dusting the furniture, she is dusting the grass. I yell, “Grandma, what are you doing?” Grandma replies, “Company’s coming and this place is sooo dirty! Just thought I’d spruce up a bit.” I exclaim, “By dusting the grass?!” (As told by Morgan Fomera)
How often do we get caught up in the meaningless details of life, rather than looking at the big picture?! I know I’m guilty of it! Now, some things are necessary to carrying out the day’s work…but do you get caught up in the business of the work and forget that it’s all about relationships with others? Do you get so caught up in “doing” that you forget that it is an actual relationship with God that your Spirit longs for? You can figure out what this eleven yr-old’s story means for you, but remember: it’s the relationships in your life that count…definitely not the status of the grass – whether it be dusty, or just long!
Originally written on Tuesday, May 25, 2010
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
“‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!’ What does a man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”
As I was driving home with my sister more than a week ago, she tells this story: “So my grandma calls, and she says, “Hi! Can you come dust?” So, I say “NO!” An hour or two passes and my grandma calls again and she says “Can you come dust?” Again, I say “no.” One last time my grandma calls and says, “Can you come dust?” and I say ‘Fine.” So I go over there and I see her dusting. But she isn’t dusting the furniture, she is dusting the grass. I yell, “Grandma, what are you doing?” Grandma replies, “Company’s coming and this place is sooo dirty! Just thought I’d spruce up a bit.” I exclaim, “By dusting the grass?!” (As told by Morgan Fomera)
How often do we get caught up in the meaningless details of life, rather than looking at the big picture?! I know I’m guilty of it! Now, some things are necessary to carrying out the day’s work…but do you get caught up in the business of the work and forget that it’s all about relationships with others? Do you get so caught up in “doing” that you forget that it is an actual relationship with God that your Spirit longs for? You can figure out what this eleven yr-old’s story means for you, but remember: it’s the relationships in your life that count…definitely not the status of the grass – whether it be dusty, or just long!
Originally written on Tuesday, May 25, 2010
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Caught In the Vine???
Today’s Reading: John 15: 1, 5 (NIV)
“I [Jesus] am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
On Monday, I was in New Orleans for a mission trip (hurricane reconstruction) with Green Room Campus Ministries. Monday was our first work day. My group was assigned to do some “general cleaning” in the backyard of a house. When we arrived on-site, I was stunned! The yard was a MESS!!! There were broken pots and piles of dog poop everywhere; vines hanging every which way. Dead tall grass, weeds, and trash covered the yard! I was not sure if it was truly going to be a one-day job!
I had a rake in my hands for nearly the entire day. As we headed into the afternoon, I began raking the second half of the yard – which was FAR WORSE than the first half! About two minutes into the process, I was already breaking a sweat. The LAYERS of weeds and dead vines were hard to get through. At one point in time, I actually got caught in the “rakeage,” and I nearly fell over! :-)
As I worked to get my feet untangled from the mess, I could not help but think about how God, in the above Scripture, says that He is the Gardener. I began to wonder if, sometimes, we may need to be caught in His love to grasp how our own spiritual yards call for attention! Spend a little time with the Gardener today. Let the Gardener show you where your life needs to be cleaned and pruned so that you may have a beautiful life that reflects the caring touch of God! God loves you and He cares about your wellbeing…and while He accepts you wherever you are and wherever you have been, He doesn’t want you to stay that way! He wants to change you. He wants to trim you to be the best person (branch) you can be…and you cannot do that alone!
Once we realize that we need to be cleaned, we may be stunned, just as I was looking at that yard in N.O. The cleaning process may take some time – a yard well kept wouldn’t have taken the whole “Clubs and Spades Group” an entire day to rake and clean! BUT…through patience and trust in the Gardener, any yard can be made beautiful!
Give the Gardener a chance to catch you in His love and help you realize that we are all broken people living in a broken world…but there is hope that, with time, we can ALL be good-lookin’ yards!
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
“I [Jesus] am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
On Monday, I was in New Orleans for a mission trip (hurricane reconstruction) with Green Room Campus Ministries. Monday was our first work day. My group was assigned to do some “general cleaning” in the backyard of a house. When we arrived on-site, I was stunned! The yard was a MESS!!! There were broken pots and piles of dog poop everywhere; vines hanging every which way. Dead tall grass, weeds, and trash covered the yard! I was not sure if it was truly going to be a one-day job!
I had a rake in my hands for nearly the entire day. As we headed into the afternoon, I began raking the second half of the yard – which was FAR WORSE than the first half! About two minutes into the process, I was already breaking a sweat. The LAYERS of weeds and dead vines were hard to get through. At one point in time, I actually got caught in the “rakeage,” and I nearly fell over! :-)
As I worked to get my feet untangled from the mess, I could not help but think about how God, in the above Scripture, says that He is the Gardener. I began to wonder if, sometimes, we may need to be caught in His love to grasp how our own spiritual yards call for attention! Spend a little time with the Gardener today. Let the Gardener show you where your life needs to be cleaned and pruned so that you may have a beautiful life that reflects the caring touch of God! God loves you and He cares about your wellbeing…and while He accepts you wherever you are and wherever you have been, He doesn’t want you to stay that way! He wants to change you. He wants to trim you to be the best person (branch) you can be…and you cannot do that alone!
Once we realize that we need to be cleaned, we may be stunned, just as I was looking at that yard in N.O. The cleaning process may take some time – a yard well kept wouldn’t have taken the whole “Clubs and Spades Group” an entire day to rake and clean! BUT…through patience and trust in the Gardener, any yard can be made beautiful!
Give the Gardener a chance to catch you in His love and help you realize that we are all broken people living in a broken world…but there is hope that, with time, we can ALL be good-lookin’ yards!
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sounds Crazy, Right?!?!
Today’s Reading: Psalm 149:3-4a (NIV)
“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people…”
Last night, a dear friend told me to turn down the lights, put on a song that I can slow dance to, with no words, and to dance with God. Sounds crazy, right? So, how is one supposed to dance with God? Some people do not even know how to dance! Others may wonder how it’s all supposed to work without having a tangible object in their arms. (Why do you think so many people used to imagine a lover instead of the mop they were holding!?) PLUS…what if one’s roommate walked into the room, in this middle of you randomly dancing with some invisible person?!?! I am almost sure that you have concluded that my friend is crazy! Or maybe you are still curious…
This Psalm, quoted above, tells us to praise God with dancing! Whenever I hear the word “dance,” I think back to my high school dances that I went to…Christmas dance, prom, etc. I always hated the slow songs, because at that point in time, I would head for the nearest wall and watch all the high school sweethearts move out onto the floor to embrace each other and dance. I remember in middle school, the couples would definitely keep the twelve inches between them, but by high school, there was no such thing as distance between couples. Haha. As the song went on, some couples would rest their head on each other’s shoulders, or perhaps give them a kiss. At some dances, I wondered if they were ever going to get to the Electric Slide! (which has always been a personal favorite!)
So, if you are curious whether I actually put on a song, and slow danced with God…All I’m going to say, is sometimes, you have to be crazy and take delight in God. Dancing with God was a little awkward at first (as if we were in middle school), but as the song of life went on, it got better and more relaxed. Sure, there are times, when I prefer doing the Electric Slide with God. BUT, the intimacy God is willing to share with each one of us is better than any prom!
God is waiting for you out on the dance floor. Sure, it may seem a little crazy, but that longing you have inside for an intimate relationship with your Creator is satisfied once you step out onto that dance floor. Allowing Him to guide each step, breaking the 12-inch rule, and resting your head on His shoulder…May you take delight in God with every song…
“And it’s crazy when love gets a hold of you…you really don’t know love at all until it’s makin’ you do, something crazy!” -Steven Curtis Chapman, song: Something Crazy
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people…”
Last night, a dear friend told me to turn down the lights, put on a song that I can slow dance to, with no words, and to dance with God. Sounds crazy, right? So, how is one supposed to dance with God? Some people do not even know how to dance! Others may wonder how it’s all supposed to work without having a tangible object in their arms. (Why do you think so many people used to imagine a lover instead of the mop they were holding!?) PLUS…what if one’s roommate walked into the room, in this middle of you randomly dancing with some invisible person?!?! I am almost sure that you have concluded that my friend is crazy! Or maybe you are still curious…
This Psalm, quoted above, tells us to praise God with dancing! Whenever I hear the word “dance,” I think back to my high school dances that I went to…Christmas dance, prom, etc. I always hated the slow songs, because at that point in time, I would head for the nearest wall and watch all the high school sweethearts move out onto the floor to embrace each other and dance. I remember in middle school, the couples would definitely keep the twelve inches between them, but by high school, there was no such thing as distance between couples. Haha. As the song went on, some couples would rest their head on each other’s shoulders, or perhaps give them a kiss. At some dances, I wondered if they were ever going to get to the Electric Slide! (which has always been a personal favorite!)
So, if you are curious whether I actually put on a song, and slow danced with God…All I’m going to say, is sometimes, you have to be crazy and take delight in God. Dancing with God was a little awkward at first (as if we were in middle school), but as the song of life went on, it got better and more relaxed. Sure, there are times, when I prefer doing the Electric Slide with God. BUT, the intimacy God is willing to share with each one of us is better than any prom!
God is waiting for you out on the dance floor. Sure, it may seem a little crazy, but that longing you have inside for an intimate relationship with your Creator is satisfied once you step out onto that dance floor. Allowing Him to guide each step, breaking the 12-inch rule, and resting your head on His shoulder…May you take delight in God with every song…
“And it’s crazy when love gets a hold of you…you really don’t know love at all until it’s makin’ you do, something crazy!” -Steven Curtis Chapman, song: Something Crazy
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Come Chat
Today’s Reading: Luke 6:17-19 (NIV, emphasis mine)
“He [Jesus] went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.”
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I usually hang out at the PSU (the student union on MSU’s campus). Often, I’ll stop in and annoy my campus pastor, who makes his home in the PSU on those days. Today, I decided that I would not be annoying, so I stayed away the best I could. I pulled out my journal and I wrote. After a while, a random thought/concern crossed my mind, so I sent my pastor a text. Instead of texting back a normal response, like “ok” or “:-)” he replied with, “Come chat.”
Now, I am certainly not saying that my campus pastor is Jesus. BUT…he did remind me of what Jesus does each and every moment. Jesus says, “Here I am. Come chat. Come spend time with Me. Come be healed.” We need to chat with Him. We too need to be healed. Healed of the hatred we store in our hearts. To be healed of the pain we have when we try to live without a relationship with Him. By having this relationship with Him, we are changed. We begin to be able to see the good in this world, in the midst of the pain.
I could have stayed right where I was. I could have ignored my pastor’s text and never talked about my concern. I could have stayed at my own table, in my own little world, and never received the advice that I got from the conversation. I was presented with a choice. We all are presented with a choice. We can choose to answer God’s call to “Come chat” with Him. All we have to do is walk across the room, dust off our Bibles, spend a bit of time with God, and let Him take our breath away with His words.
What are you going to choose now that you have the message, “Come chat”???
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
“He [Jesus] went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.”
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I usually hang out at the PSU (the student union on MSU’s campus). Often, I’ll stop in and annoy my campus pastor, who makes his home in the PSU on those days. Today, I decided that I would not be annoying, so I stayed away the best I could. I pulled out my journal and I wrote. After a while, a random thought/concern crossed my mind, so I sent my pastor a text. Instead of texting back a normal response, like “ok” or “:-)” he replied with, “Come chat.”
Now, I am certainly not saying that my campus pastor is Jesus. BUT…he did remind me of what Jesus does each and every moment. Jesus says, “Here I am. Come chat. Come spend time with Me. Come be healed.” We need to chat with Him. We too need to be healed. Healed of the hatred we store in our hearts. To be healed of the pain we have when we try to live without a relationship with Him. By having this relationship with Him, we are changed. We begin to be able to see the good in this world, in the midst of the pain.
I could have stayed right where I was. I could have ignored my pastor’s text and never talked about my concern. I could have stayed at my own table, in my own little world, and never received the advice that I got from the conversation. I was presented with a choice. We all are presented with a choice. We can choose to answer God’s call to “Come chat” with Him. All we have to do is walk across the room, dust off our Bibles, spend a bit of time with God, and let Him take our breath away with His words.
What are you going to choose now that you have the message, “Come chat”???
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
I WILL, I WILL!!!
Today’s Reading:
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in a boat with the hired men and followed him.” – Mark 1:16-20 (NIV, bolded mine)
“I will, I will,” Jacob called when I said that I was going to make cookies! He jumped out of the chair, while leaving his favorite movie, and ran into the kitchen. Jacob is four years old, and he is more than willing to do just about anything! Before we had all of the stuff gathered to make the cookies, he was already asking to help beat the cookie batter. Not only is he willing to help with the wonderful things, he’ll also help with the “not-so-wonderful” things.
Can we play a game later? I have to clean up the house…“I will help!”
I have to let the dog inside. “I will, I will!”
I have vacuum up the floor. “I will, I will!”
I need to take the trash outside. “I will, I will!”
Often, Jacob’s excitement overwhelms me. I just can’t seem to get to the part where he can help fast enough! I have always loved this story of Jesus calling the disciples, especially the part where He says, “I will make you fishers of men.” That’s the part where we get the song…”I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men…I will make you fishers of men, if you follow me.” I loved to sing that song anytime when my dad, brother, and I would go fishing in our lake…but today, and as the New Year approaches, I saw something different in this small piece of Scripture – I saw the willingness of the new disciples to leave everything and follow Jesus.
I’m never sure whether my campus minister is joking around when he says, “I want to quit my job, and go serve Jesus,” but in reality, that’s exactly what these men did. Something about Jesus caught their eye, and they left everything for it…and they didn’t take all day to do it or make up their minds and contemplate the meaning of life. Jesus called them, and “at once they left their nets and followed him!”
Just as Jacob is willing to do the wonderful things as well as the not-so-wonderful, these men were willing to leave their comfort zone (their job – it’s what they knew best – fishing) and follow Jesus. You don’t have to be an expert. (Jacob is certainly not an expert at baking cookies, nor vacuuming.) You just have to be willing.
Are you willing to go all out to serve Jesus in 2010? Can’t say it was always easy for these men to give up everything, but in the end…it was worth it!
God doesn’t ask for the experts…He only asks that you be willing. Will you respond like Jacob, and following ‘at once’ like the disciples? “I WILL, I WILL!!!”
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in a boat with the hired men and followed him.” – Mark 1:16-20 (NIV, bolded mine)
“I will, I will,” Jacob called when I said that I was going to make cookies! He jumped out of the chair, while leaving his favorite movie, and ran into the kitchen. Jacob is four years old, and he is more than willing to do just about anything! Before we had all of the stuff gathered to make the cookies, he was already asking to help beat the cookie batter. Not only is he willing to help with the wonderful things, he’ll also help with the “not-so-wonderful” things.
Can we play a game later? I have to clean up the house…“I will help!”
I have to let the dog inside. “I will, I will!”
I have vacuum up the floor. “I will, I will!”
I need to take the trash outside. “I will, I will!”
Often, Jacob’s excitement overwhelms me. I just can’t seem to get to the part where he can help fast enough! I have always loved this story of Jesus calling the disciples, especially the part where He says, “I will make you fishers of men.” That’s the part where we get the song…”I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men…I will make you fishers of men, if you follow me.” I loved to sing that song anytime when my dad, brother, and I would go fishing in our lake…but today, and as the New Year approaches, I saw something different in this small piece of Scripture – I saw the willingness of the new disciples to leave everything and follow Jesus.
I’m never sure whether my campus minister is joking around when he says, “I want to quit my job, and go serve Jesus,” but in reality, that’s exactly what these men did. Something about Jesus caught their eye, and they left everything for it…and they didn’t take all day to do it or make up their minds and contemplate the meaning of life. Jesus called them, and “at once they left their nets and followed him!”
Just as Jacob is willing to do the wonderful things as well as the not-so-wonderful, these men were willing to leave their comfort zone (their job – it’s what they knew best – fishing) and follow Jesus. You don’t have to be an expert. (Jacob is certainly not an expert at baking cookies, nor vacuuming.) You just have to be willing.
Are you willing to go all out to serve Jesus in 2010? Can’t say it was always easy for these men to give up everything, but in the end…it was worth it!
God doesn’t ask for the experts…He only asks that you be willing. Will you respond like Jacob, and following ‘at once’ like the disciples? “I WILL, I WILL!!!”
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Voluntarily Locked Out???
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (NIV)
The very first day I pulled into the parking lot of Missouri State University, I was sure that I was going to be great at college. I had come from church that morning, and I was ready to go!!! I decided that I didn’t want to go into the band camp week in my nice dress clothes, so I slipped on some jeans in the car. I went into the temporary dorm, where I would make my home for the next couple days before I could move into my permanent dorm, and registered. I decided to go upstairs to the room to dump my first load of stuff, my purse, laptop, and umbrella. (It hadn’t been raining, so I have no idea why I had one with me!)
As I headed up the stairs, I started to panic. I couldn’t find my car keys! I dumped out my purse all over the bed…I searched through my laptop case, hoping I had stashed them inside, but they were nowhere to be found! I seriously freaked out!!! Here I was, a college freshman, locked out of my car! I was locked out of the only thing that was familiar to me!
Have you ever felt that way? As Christians, I think we need to feel this way more often than not – we need to voluntarily lock ourselves out of what’s familiar and GO! I was forced to talk to unfamiliar people to see how I could get my car unlocked when Mom, with the spare key, was 246 miles away, and I had band within an hour!!!
Jesus tells us in Acts, that we are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, as well as ‘to the ends of the earth.’ Jerusalem, for His disciples, was a familiar place. That’s where they all grew up. It’s what they know. However, He calls them to go to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth to spread this message that they have! That’s not exactly familiar to them! Remember, most of these people are traveling on foot. To be called to go that far out of their comfort zone is a huge step.
I was forced out of my comfort zone! I had to get to know people and trust them quickly to help me get my clothes, my flute, and, of course, my keys, out of my car! I had never met any of these people ever in my entire life! I was locked out of what was familiar…Jesus asks us to go outside of what is familiar and share His message to the world!
Will you stay in what’s familiar, or will you voluntarily go out of your comfort zone to share His grace?
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
The very first day I pulled into the parking lot of Missouri State University, I was sure that I was going to be great at college. I had come from church that morning, and I was ready to go!!! I decided that I didn’t want to go into the band camp week in my nice dress clothes, so I slipped on some jeans in the car. I went into the temporary dorm, where I would make my home for the next couple days before I could move into my permanent dorm, and registered. I decided to go upstairs to the room to dump my first load of stuff, my purse, laptop, and umbrella. (It hadn’t been raining, so I have no idea why I had one with me!)
As I headed up the stairs, I started to panic. I couldn’t find my car keys! I dumped out my purse all over the bed…I searched through my laptop case, hoping I had stashed them inside, but they were nowhere to be found! I seriously freaked out!!! Here I was, a college freshman, locked out of my car! I was locked out of the only thing that was familiar to me!
Have you ever felt that way? As Christians, I think we need to feel this way more often than not – we need to voluntarily lock ourselves out of what’s familiar and GO! I was forced to talk to unfamiliar people to see how I could get my car unlocked when Mom, with the spare key, was 246 miles away, and I had band within an hour!!!
Jesus tells us in Acts, that we are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, as well as ‘to the ends of the earth.’ Jerusalem, for His disciples, was a familiar place. That’s where they all grew up. It’s what they know. However, He calls them to go to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth to spread this message that they have! That’s not exactly familiar to them! Remember, most of these people are traveling on foot. To be called to go that far out of their comfort zone is a huge step.
I was forced out of my comfort zone! I had to get to know people and trust them quickly to help me get my clothes, my flute, and, of course, my keys, out of my car! I had never met any of these people ever in my entire life! I was locked out of what was familiar…Jesus asks us to go outside of what is familiar and share His message to the world!
Will you stay in what’s familiar, or will you voluntarily go out of your comfort zone to share His grace?
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© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
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