"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life." - John 6:68
The apostle, Peter, spoke the above words when Jesus confronted him amid the vacating of many people who had just heard Jesus' call to eat his body and drink his blood as a spiritual necessity for everlasting life. This was and is a tough call for us to answer because it challenges us outside of our spiritual comfort zones. As a friend reminded me recently, the act of eating is actually a very intimate and personal action, so when Jesus calls us to receive him in the Eucharist, he is calling us to an intimacy that transcends physical nourishment and enters into our spiritual nourishment.
In light of Jesus' Eucharistic call for us to get out of our comfort zones, I thought about times recently where I have witnessed people stepping out of their comfort zones in ways that have helped them become better in some aspect of their lives. This weekend, I saw glimpses of this as the cross country season began here in Georgia. The athletes with whom I work at Clarke Central High School have never really tasted "success" in terms of team championships in recent years, but they have certainly felt some individual success. This year, however, our coaching staff has tried to challenge the athletes to get out of their comfort zones in ways that they have not done so over the last few years. The athletes have responded so far to this challenge in the last few weeks as they continue to work hard each day at practice with a more cohesive mindset. This translated well into our first race of the year as our team had the best season-opening cross country meet that I have witnessed in the last few years. Our kids seem to have a bit more pride in themselves and their team. The spirit of their positive efforts is contagious. I believe that this spirit is the same Spirit that should energize us to move out of our comfort zones in all areas of our lives.
A second story emulating a reach out of a comfort zone is one that I saw on ESPN this morning. This story follows an 11-year-old boy with cerebral palsy as he tries to push himself each day to do new things. Please take a few minutes to watch the video below. Note the intimacy and communion that Matthew has around him. Are we that blessed?
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8296170
So, next time we doubt our ability to pursue life outside of our natural comfort zones, remember to ask yourself, "Lord, to shom shall I go?" Hopefully, our answer will affirm what we truly believe in the depths of our spirits.
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
No comments:
Post a Comment