Out of the Comfort Zone

Recently, my husband and I were wanting to take our children somewhere that we weren’t sure was going to be open. I sent them a Facebook message asking about the open hours that day. I sent a message because I hate making phone calls. I’d rather send an email or a text than just call–heck, I’d send a carrier pigeon if it would get me out of making a phone call. After a little while, they hadn’t responded to my message, so I asked my husband to call to see if they were going to be open.

He knew why I was asking, so he looked at me and in his kind and gentle way told me no. If I wanted to know, I would have to make the call myself. I wish I could tell you that it was that simple, but that exchange nearly led to a full-blown fight. Why couldn’t he just make the call for me? He knows how much I hate making phone calls. I remember sitting there on the bed, obsessively refreshing my computer screen to see if I had received a reply yet.

You see, I had blown up the whole thing in my head. In my mental scenario, they had seen my Facebook message and were choosing not to reply. Therefore, when I called, I envisioned that they would immediately know I was the person who had sent the Facebook message. Thus, they would be frustrated that I was now calling and bothering them.

Oh, and did I mention that it was a church I needed to call?

I was panicking over calling a church.

Eventually, I put on my big girl panties and called the church to see if their indoor play area was going to be open before we made the 30-minute drive. I asked the friendly woman who answered the phone if the play area was open, she said yes, I thanked her, and we hung up. The whole ordeal took approximately 15 seconds, but I spent an hour working myself up over it.

My husband loves me dearly. However, he refuses to let me use him as a crutch. Sure, if it was something I could not physically do, he would do it for me in a heartbeat. But when it comes to things like making a phone call, he draws the line, even though I despise them. He knows that pushing me to do something for myself will help me to grow.

The Bible extensively states that we are to help each other. We need to encourage one another. We need to build each other up. Sure, my husband could have “helped” by making the phone call for me. However, that would not have helped me in the long run because it would not have helped me to grow by pushing me out of my comfort zone.

Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” The footnote in my Bible for this verse states that “sharpens another” refers to the developing and molding of character. This is not always fun. To grow, sometimes we need to step outside of our comfort zones. Growing takes work. It does not happen overnight. Just as spring buds burst forth and need sunlight, water, and time to mature into beautiful flowers, we also need to cultivate the areas in our life that need growth. And just as the verse in Proverbs states, often we need someone close to help sharpen and mold us into what God wants us to be.

The next time I need to make a phone call that I don’t want to make, I will remember that I can do it. And in the process, I will grow.

Heather Gerwing is a homeschooling mom of four. She is a Jersey girl at heart but now lives in Michigan with her husband Jeff and their kids. Heather enjoys reading, coffee-ing, worshipping and writing. She is passionate about her family and living the full life. You can find her at heathergerwing.com.

Photograph © Nurhadi Cahyono, used with permission