Have you ever felt nervous about stepping out of your comfort zone? I did too.
I recently joined Alpha at church, it’s a social group where we get together and enjoy a nice meal while getting to know Jesus together. It’s pretty cool and intimate and I’m enjoying it. The program runs for about 8 weeks.
Initially, I was hesitant. This wasn’t the first Alpha course the church had run since I’d been there. I ignored all the previous announcements because I just thought it wasn’t for me.
I was worried I’d say the wrong thing or offend someone. I’m not exactly a hardcore Christian. I have my struggles with my faith and I thought people would see right through me.
I am also not by any means a group person. I avoid intimate group settings like the plague but a friend of mine invited me to accompany her and I decided to get out of my comfort zone. After all, these are church people, what’s the worst that can happen?
I’d imagined we’d be sitting in a circle or something along those lines and it wasn’t like that at all. It was far more intimate and we were seated in groups at different tables rather than everyone being huddled together.
We watch videos with thought-provoking questions about faith and Christianity. It’s up to you whether or not you choose to share and there’s absolutely no pressure.
One evening during a discussion about forgiveness, I discovered that that’s one thing that I seriously need to work on. As I was reflecting on my experiences, I realized that what I was doing was not forgiving, I was simply brushing stuff off and completely disregarding people who’d wronged me, which isn’t right.
I have met an amazing bunch of ladies; which I now call my friends. Had I not taken the risk and just gone to that first session, we may never have met. I’ve been wanting to make more friends with similar interests and at a similar point in life with me to help me navigate through the changes I’m trying to make to become the best version of myself.
If there’s something new you’d like to try that’s completely out of your comfort zone, I encourage you to just do it. You never know what you may discover.
Give it at least 1 chance and if you don’t like it then at least you tried.
What do you have to lose?
I’m glad I leapt. It’s been an amazing experience and I’m also getting to know more about myself and grow in my faith while making new amazing connections.
If we want to change our lives and have new experiences, we have to try new things.
