Comfort Zones Day 19

To sell their fish, every day a group of fisherwomen would travel from their homes near the seashore to the city market. The men in their families would be busy with fishing and the women were the fishmongers. Since it was somewhat of a distance from the shore to the market, the women travelled only during daytime and as a group, carrying heavy baskets full of fish.

One-day business was slow and the women finished selling all of their fish only after it became dark. They did not want to go walk back home in the dark and while they were discussing the issue among themselves, another vendor heard their discussion and offered the back porch of her nearby house for them to sleep that night.

The women were glad that they found a safe place to spend the night.  They lay down to sleep but soon realized they could not, because of the strong aroma coming from inside the house – the house owners were flower merchants and they stored their entire inventory in the house. The fisherwomen who were comfortable with the smell of the sea, the shore and the fish, found the smell of all the flowers unbearable. So the women took their fish baskets, which were now dry, and they liberally sprinkled some water on them to release the familiar and comfortable smell. The women put the baskets next to their heads and they soon fell asleep.

Dear Friend, the fisherwomen had their comfort zone and you and I have our own comfort zones. We like our comfort zones – now others may find them unusual, but they are ours.

Sometimes our comfort zone can be a sin that is offensive to God – and Jesus comes into our lives and asks us to leave our comfort zones and sins.  And then we might ‘say’ (not pray) the sinners prayer, ‘say’ words of repentance, etc., but are we truly willing to let go of the sin that gives us comfort?  Is that what Jesus wants of His followers?

So dear brother and sister in Christ, let’s examine our lives and see if there is any “sin that so easily entangles” us (Hebrews 12:1) and ask our God to help us “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Blessed Jesus, hold my hand and teach me the sin that darkens my eyes and entangles my feet. Help me to get rid of that sin and lead me to a higher place. Amen.