When you see things out of their normal element, it reveals characteristics that are normally not noticed. Isn’t this true of us as well? Often times we find what we are made of when we get outside our comfort zone. It’s this lesson I relearned on a recent evening around sunset when I observed the moon and Venus before night had truly arrived. The sky colors were a mix of orange, yellow, and blue but the crescent moon and bright Venus were already making their debut. Here is the quick sketch before the story continues:
The sky in half light softened the whole scene but made it memorable and unique. So it is with us. If I get in unusual circumstances I find things about me I would not normally see. A strange environment causes me to retreat to what is within. Sometimes I find good things come out; sometimes they are not, and I have to repent. That is how God gives us tests along the way. He changes a couple things and puts a little bump in the road. He does not need to see how we will react. He already knows what is within us. We need to see.
In Christ Jesus we can expect to be learning all the time, because his desire is that we grow. Little challenges outside our comfort zone is often the way he stimulates a little growth. So it is best not to grumble to much when things do not seem right. The whole situation is probably in his plan.
