Oh, The Comfort Zone.

So I feel like a real failure today. Haven’t worked out since Thursday, didn’t go 4 times this week like I have been wanting to and I have also been slacking in eating well. Times are getting tough and I feel like I have definitely hit a plateau and am losing motivation. Then I remembered that I ordered my dress for Nicole’s wedding in June, a size smaller. MOTIVATION FOUND!! However, gym, eating and weight loss aside, here was my day today friends. I didn’t even realize until this very second that I didn’t weigh myself out of the sheer business of this morning. At the house today we got to throw a wonderful baby shower for our friend Kristin at our church which was very fun to be apart of.
In other news, our worship leader has been sick with some really aggressive throat issues and has been hoarse or with no voice for the better part of 3 weeks now. This has meant that I was asked to lead our church in worship last week. With not a lot of progress in His health, I am once again in the position to lead worship. So most of you reading this know that I love music and was a total choir nerd all through school. I love playing and being apart of a worship team and count it as a grace and honor to have learned what I have from some incredible musicians, from my beginnings at New Life and now at Doxa. But nothing I have done up top this point prepared me for this. I have found a whole new respect for worship leaders and singers who do this every week. God is so good in order to give me this opportunity to be able to lead and lean on Him to carry me through and relieve my anxiety. I am so grateful to my church and my roomies for all their encouragement even though I didn’t know I’d be able to do it, let alone do a good job. I’m also very thankful for my Pastors and leaders for giving me the opportunity to grow in this area. A couple of them especially vocalized that this was going to be good for me, even though I have been very resistant to the whole idea because it is so out of my comfort zone. Which is where I have found is usually where God puts us, in one form or another, for our growth in reliance and obedience to Him. I am ever-so grateful that God continues to surprise me in opportunities and ways that I can rely on Him! And always out of nowhere! This whole situation, I mean, its something I used to think I could totally do, no problem. Something that I thought “didn’t seem that hard,” but my goodness is it a humbling experience to actually be given the opportunity to do it!
This leads me to ask for prayer for tomorrow. I hope to not be as nervous as I was last week, meaning a constant adrenaline rush of nerves and butterflies in my stomach! I hope I am quick to pray in those moments of anxiety. Should I have to lead for a 3^rd week, I really want to do as best I can, tomorrow included, to point people to Jesus in leading the congregation to fall more in love with Him through worship. And practically, that I don’t get light headed belting out the songs that I have grown to enjoy singing and playing with the fellas on worship team. I have a lot more hope for tomorrow and God is good to remind me that the true purpose of worship is to express his goodness and glorify Him. So practice as I may, flat notes, sloppy intros or maybe even an extra instrumental line, those are not as important as giving praise to my Creator and allowing Him to put me out of my comfort Zone.

Here’s to not staying comfortable! =)