Uncomfortable.
It’s not a feeling we enjoy.
We do our best to avoid being uncomfortable, and we live in a culture that validates our decision to do that. After all, this world tells us that we should be comfortable and happy, free of any obligation to anyone other than ourselves.
We like our routines, our space, our plans, and our ideas–and we prefer not to rock the boat.
It’s not always obvious that we’re avoiding discomfort. Sometimes our avoidance manifests as just not doing something. That ‘something’ might seem small or insignificant to us, so why bother? We usually tell ourselves it doesn’t really matter.
My husband and I are in the process of adopting, and as I learn more about adoption and foster care, I realize we could do so much more if we were okay with being uncomfortable. That in reality, we weren’t called to be comfortable in this world, but uncomfortable.
To be completely vulnerable, when things have been hard and uncomfortable on our journey, I’ve thought it would be so much easier to grow our family just like everyone else. Now, I don’t for a moment believe that growing a family biologically is without hard times and discomfort. But there’s a sense of normalcy attached to the idea that we fall in love, get married, have babies, and live happily ever after.
That’s the dream of every little girl.
It’s not a bad dream, but it’s not always the case, either.
We are called to so much more than a comfortable, happy life here on earth.
The Scriptures tell us that we’re called to be a light, to be peculiar, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to care for the fatherless and widows, and to carry the Gospel to our neighbors. We’re called to give of our time and resources, to be servants, to bless those who curse us, pray for those who hate us, be persecuted for His name, and to show the world the love of God through it all.
Are we called to be uncomfortable?
How comfortable was Esther walking into the throne room of the king?
How comfortable was Ruth, leaving behind everything she knew to follow Naomi?
How comfortable was Mary, carrying our Savior while everyone gossiped about her pregnancy?
How comfortable was she watching her eldest son bleeding on the cross while everyone around her cheered and jeered?
Come to think of it, how comfortable was the cross? The nails, the crown of thorns…
What gives me the right to believe that my life should be comfortable?
Comfortable is taking care of my family, attending my church regularly, and being content with my community just the way it is.
Comfortable is living my life based on the cultural norm, not considering that God may have another way.
Uncomfortable is realizing and acknowledging that I can, and probably should, do more.
I can open my home to a child, or I can reach out to my neighbor who’s not like me.
I can give up material things — things that don’t matter anyway — to support the work of the Kingdom. I can go to a foreign field, surrendering my ideas of what a normal life looks like, and completely following after Christ.
I can proclaim the truth even when it’s unpopular.
I can throw away the idea that I have a right to be comfortable, and let God make me uncomfortable for His sake.
This is the journey I’m on, so let’s talk about foster care and adoption.
I think one of the scariest parts is the unknown. You know change is coming, but you don’t know how much. It’s easier to stick with what you know, what’s comfortable. But, comfortable doesn’t make a difference in a fatherless child’s life. It doesn’t change their story or alter their eternity. It doesn’t give me the opportunity to introduce a birth parent to the love of God. Comfortable doesn’t watch God heal and restore a family as I become a part of their reunification story.
Everytime I think about introducing a child, a child the devil may have earmarked for hell (in this world and the next), to this truth I love and value so very much, my comfort matters less and less to me.
My purpose on earth–and your purpose, too — is to take as many people to heaven with me as I possibly can. If it means being uncomfortable, then so be it. If it means letting go of control and embracing the unknown, fine. If it means holding a foster child for only a short time and then letting her go, I know He’ll give me the strength to do it. And I know the heavenly reward far outweighs any earthly discomfort.
What are some of the uncomfortable things God is calling you to?
What have you been hesitant to step into because you know it’s out of your comfort zone?
I challenge you to take a closer look at those things and, instead of seeing personal discomfort, see the opportunities to make a difference.
I pray the Church gets the revelation that we weren’t saved to be comfortable.
We’re called to be uncomfortable.
Ryan & Brittani Scott are currently raising funds for their first adoption. If you’d like to be a part of their adoption story, you can purchase a From Orphan To Heir t-shirt here. These tees go great with our Perfect Denim Jacket from Peony Street Boutique!