September 15, 2003 - Escaping My Comfort Zone

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Escaping My Comfort Zone
By LaMont Jones
September 15, 2003

Last summer there were several times I prayed, “Lord, I want to be in your will,” or “Lord move me.” Who knew it would be literally?

From time to time, we say we want God to challenge us, but then we are content to stay in our safe little comfort zones. I know I wasn’t ready to be moved when I moved, even though I asked for it. By being in my hometown my whole life I kept falling into the same ruts. It wasn’t that I was doing bad things—I was just too content in Christ. My mentors and people around me would challenge me, but the familiarity of my surroundings would overtake me and I wouldn’t mature.

Let Me Explain…
I am a St. Louis native, born and raised. The majority of my family is there; I completed college there; I was active in the church there; so why leave? My spirit was longing for more. It’s not that my walk with God was struggling, it just wasn’t going forward.

My best friends lived in Denver. Ever since I’ve known these guys they badgered me about moving there. Denver was a nice city, but it wasn’t St. Louis. I would constantly put these guys off when I came to visit. From time to time I’d say someday I would move there, but not really mean it.

Part of it was my church was going through a revival. My prayer life was better, but I knew there was something more out there for me. One Sunday night, we had tongues and interpretation. To summarize, God said, “Whatever you want is right there, I have opened the door, just walk through it.” I felt in my spirit it was time to leave. This was confirmed in the weeks following. For me to grow deeper in God, I needed to leave St. Louis. The only other place I knew to go was Denver.

The First Door - Employment
As everyone knows, finding a job is difficult in today’s market, especially when leaping to another city. I had already been laid off once the year before and taking this great of a risk would have to be God-inspired. I just kept praying because I knew God would make a way if it was His will.

With the appropriate skill set and experience, I looked for a job in the mortgage industry, but even in this booming industry it is tough to find a permanent job. It’s quite easy to get hired on as a temporary, but there is no security in that. I was applying for jobs left and right with no response for weeks. With no response, I decided to step it up more spiritually. I went on a two-week fast in which I fasted two meals a day. With that came this amazing peace from the Lord. At the end I knew it was all in His hands.

Then, on a Wednesday right before Thanksgiving, I applied for a job opening at a mortgage company in Denver. This is how God works. I had applied for this job several times (I’m a persistent fellow), since this is the one I wanted, because the location was close to where I would be living. I applied late Wednesday night and literally three minutes later I got a response via e-mail and had an interview set-up for the following Monday. I flew out to Denver on Friday after Thanksgiving and got the job that Monday. That was the first door God opened.

The Second Door - Transportation
I’m not sure how to describe my car at the time. Let’s just say it would not make the 12-hour drive to Denver. If I took it, I would probably be stranded in Kansas somewhere at midnight, God forbid. I needed a car that would be dependable, but I didn’t have a lot of funds. The move would cost a lot, and I still had to sell my house. I walked into a dealership on Friday, told them what I wanted, and found a reliable car for virtually no money down. The payments were exactly what I wanted. Door number two opened.

The Third Door – Selling the House
The only thing left to do was to sell my house. I left St. Louis on December 7, 2002 with my house unsold. It was on the market for three months and a couple had come by to look at it, but no offers were made. I had a good situation in Denver because my roommate was letting me live with him rent-free until my house sold. Still, not having it sold after one month in Denver was pretty stressful. Finally, I got the call that an offer was made. Of course, I accepted. It’s hard to sell a house in February, but, once again, God provided. Once my house sold, my roommate in Denver gave me a great deal on rent.

Not, That Everything Was Perfect…
At first, transitioning to Denver was difficult. I was uncomfortable in unexpected areas. I had never been away from my family for more than a week and now 800 miles separated us. I wasn’t comfortable at the church I was attending and the new job became a problem. There were some nights I would drive around Denver (keeping to the main roads so I wouldn’t get lost) and ask God if this was truly His will.

Mainly, the company I was working for was frustrating me. Before I left St. Louis I tried transferring with Wells Fargo (my previous employer) but it didn’t work out. It turns out God had me gaining unique experience at my current company. When I contacted Wells Fargo in Denver about job openings, they loved my new skill set. I got a call from their HR person and was hired back on in two weeks. That’s when my un-comfort zone became more comfortable.

There have been times during my stay in Denver that I wanted to run back to St. Louis. I didn’t feel very useful in the church I was attending. I was used to being more involved. But that still, small voice said, “You were brought here for a reason.” That only made the wait a bit easier.

Now I’ve noticed a change in myself. My prayer life is a lot more consistent. Ministry doors have opened on their own and by His grace. (I’m now a member of the choir and coaching the Bible quiz team.) The walk with God I always wanted has deepened. It took some nudging and door opening from God to pull me out of my comfort zone, but now I’m in His comfort zone and I can’t wait to see what else He will do to bring more growth into my life.

ninetyandnine.com

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LaMont Jones works for a national mortgage company and is leaning towards going to graduate school in the spring. Though he loves his job, he is still interested in becoming the general manager of any professional sports team. If you know of any openings, call him immediately.