Out of the Comfort Zone

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst"
-Matthew 18:20

Have you ever experienced a time in your life where you wanted to crawl into a cave and hide from the world? Maybe it is the very moment that the alarm clock goes off in the morning? You start thinking about what is ahead and perhaps it is just a little bit scary. Those blankets you are under feel so safe and the world seems so daunting.

Until the day I asked God to show me who I am in His eyes, I was in some sort of a comfort zone...a safe place that was disconnected from friends and relatives. The Evil One convinced me that I did not belong in the outside world. It was safe to hide.

It has only been seven months since I got the courage to leave the cold prison I chose to reside in, outside there are new challenges every day. There are lots of people that I have let down. For privacy purposes, I am not naming any names. Use your imagination, the list is a long one.

As I recall my life in the cave, there is one man in this world that comes to my mind. His name is John McCain, the ex-POW who ran for president. When he was captured by the enemy in Vietnam his world became bleak. He was tortured for 5 and 1/2 years. Every day he prayed. His world was so dark and cold. God did not abandon him. When he came out of the cave, he gained a new respect for the world around him.

Life outside the cave is not easy. The comfort zone is gone now. God has nudged me to share my experiences in order to encourage those who feel trapped. He is calling two other people to join with me. One has answered yes and the other is not sure. His main concern is that he does not favor "organized religion". I told him that Jesus felt the same way when He was around. This other person, code-named "three" to protect his identity, told me that he can go where no other can go. This is because of his time in the cave, a cave so dark that only someone like John McCain could relate. His story borders on the unbelievable. The choice to share is three's to make. If he says yes, it will require much sacrifice. He will become part of the "two or three that are gathered in His name." The forces of evil will not be able to stop what God has planned.

The roller coaster ride is starting to look a little scary. The alarm clock next to your bed is going off. Are you ready to go out into the world today?