Sunday, March 9, 2014

COMFORT ZONE

Where do you find comfort?  There is physical comfort, emotional comfort, spiritual comfort, and others.

As a child, I found comfort sitting on my grandfather's lap, getting a hug from my Godmother, and a kiss goodnight from my mother and my father.

There are clothes that bring us comfort, like our favorite blue jeans or jogging pants, bath robe, pajamas, or a flannel shirt.

A comfort zone or personal space is what we want when we're in a crowded elevator, shopping or sitting on the beach.

A comforting scripture, prayer, favorite hymn or well-known words of wisdom bring us comfort in the worst of times.

An expectant mother, so uncomfortable, longs to be comfortable again, back to what she has been accustomed to.

What I've realized about my comfort zone(s), whether it's the physical touch, comfortable clothes, hearing my favorite scripture or singing one of my favorite hymns is that I don't always think of these comforts until I need to be comforted.

When there's a longing in my soul for a good hug when I am lonely or sad; or eagerness to put on my favorite bathrobe when I need to relax.  There's a yearning for comfort from scripture, song or words of wisdom when life shakes me up.

Our church is considering some changes in the worship schedule.  We've talked about this for years, and now we're going to put the pros and cons and goals on paper.  When I stop to think about this, the differences are really about our comfort zones.  Most regular members sit in the same space every week.  It is comforting for me to sit where I once worshiped with my father, and use the book he held in his hands. Sitting there is like being home and feeling hugged and comforted in your own space while praying and singing. We're comfortable with the time of worship or the style of worship.  It's what keeps us coming back.

When we are out of our comfort zones, we need to strive to survive until we can get to a place where we feel comfortable again. Sometimes it's something new that brings us comfort, or just a variation of what always brought us comfort in the past.

My grandfather, my Godmother, and my father are gone now.  I miss each of them and the love and influence they had on my life.  With each departure, I felt challenged in my comfort zone but have learned to recall the comfort of being with them.

There are four expectant mothers I am thinking of, all of whom are due within six weeks of April - May. Three of them are becoming mothers for the very first time.  I am sure they are longing to be comfortable again, though they will be challenged to find new comforts as they also give comfort to their new child.

Perhaps if we are challenged to go beyond our comfort zones, we will discover other things about ourselves that can be just as comforting.