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<p>I was reading a post on <a href="http://michaelhyatt.com/outside-your-comfort-zone.html">Michael Hyatt’s site</a> the other day and it really rang true for me. All my spiritual growth, along with growth in other areas of my life, has come from getting outside of my comfort zone. My decision to embrace adoption to start our family, my decision to pack up with no help at all and move back to Kansas City and my decision to attend Christ Renews His Parish – all as a result of walking headlong into things I was afraid of.</p>
<p>I reflected then moved on with my day.</p>
<h4>The Plot Thickens</h4>
<p>Then I got an email from my boss that part of me didn’t expect while the other part absolutely dreaded. We had to organize a community event at our place of business to be held during the 3<sup>rd</sup> quarter. The third quarter, of course, ends at the end of September and it was already August. On top of that, he wanted me to plan the event.</p>
<p>My first response was rather sarcastic. I asked if he thought I was feeling left out because my peer had been working on some projects and I hadn’t. He sent me a tongue-in-cheek response about being a civic-minded person who was more than willing to help.</p>
<p>“So I’m not getting out of this,” I thought to myself.</p>
<p>So be it. Deep inside me another feeling was stirring. The feeling of knowing I was the right person for the job and I was being picked to do it for a reason. Still, I had to take a brief moment to try and make sense of it all. Why now was the Holy Spirit bringing me another opportunity to move outside my comfort zone?</p>
<p>I thought I was in a period of focusing on my strengths, my gifts. I thought I was in a period of learning how to be ok with not knowing everything. I thought wrong and that’s what I get for thinking instead of trusting in the Lord.</p>
<p>There are no coincidences and this opportunity to again move outside my comfort zone has come at exactly the right time – God’s time. There are some things He wants me to experience and some things He wants me to work through. I do so humbly and with great joy and appreciation for His faith in me.</p>
<h4>Moving Forward to Surprises and Worries</h4>
<p>After I got over the urge to try and understand and just settled down to do the thing I was called for it was like the Holy Spirit came directly inside me. He typed the words for me as I banged out a one-page master document for the event in no time at all. The ideas poured forth and I thought of several things that would need to happen that I knew I couldn’t have come up with alone.</p>
<figure id="attachment_367" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-367" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://www.witnesspath.com/2012/08/15/spiritual-growth-outside-my-comfort-zone/canned-food/" rel="attachment wp-att-367"><img class="size-full wp-image-367" title="canned food" src="http://toddkmarsha.com/s/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/08/canned-food.jpg" alt="canned food" width="320" height="240" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-367" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by Flickr user krossbow, used under a Creative Commons License.</figcaption></figure>
<p>I prepared the necessary paperwork and submitted to the company, as required. Then the waiting game started. I didn’t know what to expect and I was hoping my request wouldn’t get bogged down in the bureaucracy of corporate America. There was another thing I was concerned about too…</p>
<p>You see, I proposed a food drive to benefit Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas as our community event. Their pantry has been getting a bit lean lately and their <a href="http://www.catholiccharitiesks.org/page.aspx?pid=515">Emergency Assistance Centers</a> are so vital to our community. However, many companies don’t like wearing religion on their sleeves so I wasn’t sure how well my proposal would be received. What if they suggested I work with a pan-religious organization instead?</p>
<p>I prayed for speedy approval and I asked my CRHP brothers for their intercessory prayers, as well. Remarkably, the answer came back in only a couple days. Approval and full support!!!</p>
<h4>Outside My Comfort Zone Yet Again – And Lovin’ It</h4>
<p>All of a sudden I was an employee and a charity event organizer. Pretty good for someone who spends all day organizing a file cabinet because he takes so much time reading what’s in each folder. Now we’re still in the early stages but with the support of my employer and a grateful organization that can’t wait to help us make this a success – there is no way it won’t be an awesome, uplifting event that allows everyone to put their best foot forward.</p>
<p>I’ll keep you posted…</p>
<p><strong><em>Question: Have you ever been asked to organize an event and had zero confidence in your ability to do so? What struggles did you face and how did it turn out? I’d love to hear your story in the form of a comment below. Thanks…</em></strong></p>
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