Reading Shawn Woods' book 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One and he shares a great statement. Let me paraphrase it slightly: "When God is getting ready to do something awesome in, with, and through me, it really looks more like a pain in the butt - mainly a pain in my butt!"
Isn't that what stops us from accomplishing most of the grand dreams and plans of our lives? It just looks like a whole lot of work! It is going to require me to do more or to stretch more than I am comfortable with at this point in my life. As an elementary student in the 60's, we had to take part in the "Presidental Physical Fitness Test" every fall and spring. While I don't remember the official name of the test, there was one where you sat on the floor, held your legs straight in front of you, and tried to see how far you could stretch forward and touch the floor between or beyond your feet. Now I was more than willing to stretch out and touch, but my teacher always wanted me to stretch more and to reach farther. But I am going to be honest - it just plain hurt to do it! I liked getting a good distance to my stretch, but I didn't enjoy the pain that went along with it. But truthfully without stretching to the point of discomfort, I never got to the point of accomplishment.
Our Christian experience is not about comfort, but contentment, and the two are not the same. Comfort has to do with pleasing me; contentment has to do with knowing that I have pleased Him!
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