Out Of My Comfort Zone

I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I am the preacher. The one preaching salvation and repentance. No nonsense. Intense. Hard nosed. I like the hard messages. I do not shy away from the hard truth. Yet these past few days I have been way out of my comfort zone. No. WAY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE!

They needed help. A need was publicized. I felt like I should volunteer though I knew it would mean stepping way outside of my comfort zone. I am most at home writing, studying, preaching, making pastoral visits, teaching, praying and leading. Those things are in my wheelhouse. Not this week. This week I have not done those things. My assignment called for patience. It called for tenderness, compassion, love and a willingness to get up close to people. Way closer than I ever dreamed.

I like my personal space. I don't like people crowding me. The people I've ministered to this week have not honored personal space. They do not care. They do not have filters on expressing their emotions both positive and negative. They have never been taught about personal space. They just say what they think. They press in close and closer. No matter how I tried to hold them at bay they refused my personal boundaries.

I did not know most of these people before this week. They were complete strangers. Even now I barely know them on a first name basis. They are pushy. Needy. At times they are moody. They can be unruly. Who am I referring to? The children who have attended our Vacation Bible School.

I volunteered to work with the first and second graders. Those little ones have wormed their way into my heart. Last night while they eat popsicles and I sat near them they began inching forward. First a little boy. Next a little girl. Not to be outdone two other little girls left their side of the table to come to mine. Before I knew what happened I had one trying to sit in my lap, two hugging me from the side and another holding my hand.

A little later I sat on the first step of the stage talking to all the children. Two little girls got up and came to sit next to me. Another girl not to be outdone wanted to know why those girls sat next to me and she had to be on the floor. She sat next to me on my left side when I invited her.

It has been some time since I have been hugged so much, had people wanting to sit so close to me who were not related to me and had so many wanting my attention all at the same time. I have a new appreciation for professional teachers. They have love and energy levels to equal the task before them. I am only dealing with a few children. Teachers deal with whole classrooms filled with those beautiful, loud, squirmy, excitable and wonderful children.

I am no minister to children. I get nervous teaching them. If they get bored they do not even pretend to pay attention out of courtesy. Thursday night I will present the gospel to all the children as well as their parents. I would appreciate your prayers for help. I get more nervous talking to children than a crowd of 1,000 people.

Jesus loves children. When He walked the earth He welcomed them. He embraced and affirmed them. How can we as adults do any different? Even though it is out of my comfort zone how can I not give my time and attention to those little ones valued so much by our Savior.

I see these children and wonder what kind of lives they have outside the church. Do they have both parents in their lives? Do those parents make time for them and treasure them? Are they loved? Are they mistreated and even abused? Are they taught about Jesus outside events like VBS? Are they taught to obey authority?  Jesus welcomed and embraced children. We are called to do the same. I am not sure from night to night what all that will mean.

It might mean having multiple children draped around my neck and clutching at my hands. It might mean some sitting in my lap instead of in their chair. It might mean just listening to them while looking into their eyes. One little girl pretended like she read a card to me last night. She rambled on and on about God and Jesus and how much they love us. I listened and smiled. Another boy accidentally fell into some decorations while I watched from the side. When he made eye contact with me I saw the fear in his eyes  and his shoulders slumped. I called him to me and told him I knew it was just an accident and asked him to be careful. I am sure he expected to get into trouble. Grace was what he needed in that moment and for salvation of his little soul.

As a pastor I love getting to know children. I want to be approachable. I never want to get so busy or big time that I do not have or make time for children. I love seeing them up and down the halls when we gather for worship.

O Jesus, if You need a pastor and a church to welcome children, even the difficult ones, and You are looking for a flock who will love them and teach them about Jesus please send some to us. I know You already have many churches and pastors doing that already. If there are children falling through the cracks let them to fall to us. May we be your heart, your hands, and your voice to them. Maybe You could entrust some of them to us. With your help I will love them, let them violate my personal space, get down on their level and get way out of my comfort zone.