A few years ago my husband tore his ACL on a ski trip. Surgery followed and then he spent time doing physical therapy. I’d ask how it went and he’d respond, “It hurt. The therapist made me do more than I thought I could. But my knee is starting to feel better.”
Ironically, experiencing the pain of pushing past his limits eventually led to healing. It’s often the same with our dreams.
We think, “God, you’re asking me to do that now? I can’t take anymore!” But He knows that the pain that may come from the emotional stretching we do is actually going to bring about what we’ve been longing for all these years.
We all sometimes say to yourselves, “I’ve got all I can handle right now. I can’t stretch another bit.” So we set our hearts back down on the couch and wait for healing and hope to come.
But maybe it isn’t.
Maybe it’s going to take us getting up off the couch, out of our comfort zones, and doing more than we thought we could before our dreams happen.
I realize that’s not easy. I know. It’s hard, painful, and sometimes slow. It takes more courage than we think we have right now. Much of the time, we’re not going to want to do it. And that’s okay.
I think of the “heroes” of faith. I don’t think any of them greeted the risks God asked them to take with enthusiasm.
Moses told God he didn’t want to go to Egypt and talk to Pharaoh.
Esther wasn’t thrilled about going before the king.
Jesus asked for the cup of the cross to pass him by if at all possible.
So emotionally feeling excited about getting out of your comfort zone isn’t required. It’s absolutely optional. (And psst, here’s a secret, it doesn’t make you less spiritual than Risky Rachel who’s off serving God in the Amazon.)
What matters with all of the above is simply that you do it anyway.
You’re hurt…and you reach out anyway.
You’re scared…and you take the step anyway.
You’re comfortable…and you step outside those walls you’ve built anyway.
God’s isn’t picky. He’ll take us any way He can get us.
And then He’ll give us even more than we can imagine.
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Read the rest of the God-sized dreams series.
p.s. I’m doing a podcast interview with Jill Hart at 10:30am CST on the 17th. I’d love for you to listen online!
