Stepping out of the box – getting out of your comfort zone!
That’s what this past week was all about. Not just for me, but for all the students. This past week I had the honor and privilege of being a sponsor/leader for the Kingsland Student Ministry mission trip to Arlington, Texas for about forty-eight 7th graders. While in Arlington, we worked with Mission Arlington and did two Vacation Bible Schools a day, called the Rainbow Express.
This week we all stepped out of our box. Stepping out of your box is never easy, but in that, growth happens.
[my group with some of the kids to the left. the whole group to the right.]
Let me start with the students. Saying I am proud of them is an understatement. They came so far in the week. In my group (8 students plus my awesome partner Scott), my students started off pretty shy. They weren’t quite sure how to engage with the kids at VBS, and they were timid when it came to leading the Bible Study or sharing their testimonies. This was their first time to really own their leadership—they were having to step out of their box.
But as the week went on, they started to step out of the box more and more. They started to engage with the students more. They took more control of leading the stories, games, and so on. They even sat with students one on one and talked about Jesus with them. And what I love so much is the fact that they knew some of the kids so well, they bought them gifts for the last day. There was a huge transformation in my students.
Seeing 7th grade students stepping out of their boxes, encouraged me to step out of mine. If they can do it, I can do it. If they can allow God to use them, I can allow God to use me. And that’s exactly what happened, God used them. He used them to bring glory to His name, to love on kids that come from a life that we can’t even begin to understand, and He used them to share His name. God is good, and He showed that through the students last week.
[our students working on a crafts with the kids to the left. our students praying with the kids to the right.]
How did I step out of my box? Well, the past 7 weeks of my internship have been out of my box.
I picked up what I knew and went to a place where I didn’t know anybody. I left the community I had at Houston Baptist University, and I left my community I had at Houston’s First Baptist Church. I am having to start over in a place where I knew maybe 1 person (and didn’t know that well). I am stepping out of my box to start over. I am stepping out of my box by praying for and learning to build a new community. I am stepping out of my box to meet people in a place where I didn’t know anyone. And this past week, I stepped out of my box to help sponsor/lead a trip where I didn’t know more than two or three students starting off and where I didn’t know but maybe two of the sponsors.
I had to jump all in—I had no other choice. And to be honest, I wanted to let my introverted side come out. My introverted side struck fear in me, but over the past several weeks and this past week, I had to let the Lord guide me through my introverted tendencies.
By stepping out of my box, the Lord taught me and grew me this week. He built up a community through the sponsors this past week. He allowed me to connect to some of the students. He allowed me to work through my introverted tendencies this week. And He allowed me to see Him at work.
Amazing things can happen when you step out of your box. The Lord will grow you, hands down. It’s hard to step out. It’s not easy by any means, but you have to trust. You have to have faith. Have trust and faith in the One who can guide us through, the One who is in control and can speak through us, and the One that is a hope and light.
When is the last time you stepped out of your box? If you fear stepping out, pray and cling on to our One True Savior. He has you in the palm of His hand. There is no need to fear. Let growth take place, and let God take you on a journey that you never thought was possible.
[2 of my students to the left. and my precious new friend on the right.]
reflections of a girl on mission. 