Uncomfortable Things

     A teacher, Mr. Azul Terronez, has asked thousands of students the question, "What makes a good teacher great?"
    Some of the answers to this question have been startling, some seeming downright absurd. One such answer was, "A great teacher eats apples."
    "OK," thought Mr. Terronez, "I'll eat apples then." And so he did. He ate them for breakfast. He kept them on his desk. He munched them between classes in the hallways. The children loved it. Soon they were bringing him more apples. Sometimes they would come up to him and discuss his apple-eating habits. To his surprise, Mr. Terronez discovered that by eating apples he had created a connection with his students.
    Another answer he received to the question, "What makes a good teacher great?" was this: "Great teachers sing."
    "What?" thought Mr. Terronez, "I'm not a singer!" Nonetheless, he was committed to his project, so the next morning he sang the assignments on his board to the class in his best operatic style.
    Jaws dropped. Eyes popped. There was a standing ovation. Apparently it was true. Great teachers really did sing!
    Sometimes in Christian life we are given directions that don't make sense. Because they seem odd, we think perhaps we can drop or ignore them. Some of the things seem small— ignoring the prompting to send a message to someone, not going to a function because we aren't sure where we fit in, volunteering an experience at laymen's evening. Others are larger: dropping the doctrine of the Holy Kiss, finding ways around holding the avoidance, forgetting to respect our staff. 
    These things are not always comfortable. Few of us feel relaxed in front of an audience telling a personal experience. Many agree that the greeting can feel awkward. There are days it is inconvenient to reach out to others. Sometimes we do not feel at ease listening to someone else's problems. 
    I believe that we serve a God who leads us into uncomfortable things. There, in those moments we feel so unsure of ourselves, we learn to lean on Him and His guidance. It is true that we will likely not always understand why we have been led into these places of discomfort, but we are to "...observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."  This statement is immediately followed with a promise: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  (Matthew 28:20) God's guarantee that whatever He calls us into, He will be with us through.
    Do you think eating apples was convenient when the juice dribbled down Mr. Terronez's chin? I doubt it. Do you think singing assignments to the class was without its awkward moment for a man who believed he wasn't a singer? Not likely.
    We will need to be willing to be uncomfortable. And don't get the wrong idea here. I'm certainly no example. Most of these things make me feel uncomfortable, too. Yet it is into these things, sharing a struggle, asking someone how it's going, offering a service when we're not sure if we will be accepted, that we are sometimes asked of God to venture. It takes vulnerability, but it is in vulnerable obedience we will find the reward.
    Don't wait. Claim your blessing today and start eating apples, even if it seems like an uncomfortable thing!