Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

This year I took a huge step to get out of my comfort zone. 2020 has been a really tough year. The world has faced adversity and loss, schools were closed, businesses were closed, and sports were shut down. People had financial loss, job loss, and loss of loved ones. To say it has been a tough year for most is an understatement. My own family faced huge adversity this year. But through adversity, we find opportunity. 

I realized that I had not been living right. I had lost my purpose. In the pursuit of wins on the football field, I lost who I was and why I coached. I began to examine who I was and who I wanted to be. I had become arrogant and self-centered. We were not having the success we had expected to have on the field, and I started to feel like I was a failure. Not only was I a failure on the field, but I was failing as a father and husband. 

My obsession with winning had made me lose focus on what really mattered. I decided it was time for change. It was time to change who I was. It was time to become the man I really wanted to be. I began to seek answers to the problems I was facing. Those of you who know me, know that I lived hard. I lived a lifestyle that I am not proud of. And worst of all, I led others down the wrong path. 

As I began to transform from who I was to who I wanted to be, I put my words on paper. The words ended up being a book on my search for purpose. Finding Faith was published the Sunday after Thanksgiving. 

What was missing in my life was having a faith in God. I had strayed so far from Him, that I didn't believe I was worthy of His love. I didn't believe I was worthy of the salvation we received from Jesus Christ dying on the cross. What I learned is that all of us are worthy of His love. All of us are worthy of salvation. While we may stray from God, He never strays from us. In fact, He does the opposite. He seeks us. He seeks our love. He wants us to build a relationship with Him? 

How do we build that relationship? First, we talk to Him through prayer. Praying is something I had done in times of need, but I had not prayed to form a relationship. I had to pray consistently, each day, regardless of circumstance. Second, I had to read the bible. I didn't know where to start reading, so I just started. I started with the writings of Paul. 

The apostle Paul had gone through his own transformation. He was once Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted Christians. Saul of Tarsus was on the road to Damascus with arrest warrants for Christians when he was knocked down by a bright light. That bright light was followed by a voice. It was the voice of Jesus asking Saul why he persecuted Him. He told Saul to go to Damascus where a man would meet Him. Saul then became Paul, who wrote much of the new testament. 

Paul's writings are very easy to read. They cover everything from how to live, to how to handle adversity, to how to follow Jesus. He gives instructions on how to become a man of God who loves Jesus Christ. Paul's writings reintroduced me to the amazing gift of salvation. Paul talked about having joy through adversity and trials. Adversity and trials produce endurance and perseverance. Adversity prepares us for something greater God has planned for us. And when we come through adversity, we can then help others through adversity they face. 

As I began to change my attitudes and behaviors, and put God first in my life, I started to live a life of joy. I began to realize that God has been working in my life this entire time, but I hadn't let myself form that powerful relationship. God has given me so many blessings, and looked upon me with favor. The problem was, I became arrogant. I thought every success was my doing. As I look back, I see the power of God, and how he provided the path. 

God has made each and every one of us perfectly. He has given us talents. He has given each of us a purpose. The talents he gave us fit perfectly to His purpose for our lives. He wants us to impact others, and to love others unconditionally. 

God gave me a teacher's heart. He put me here to make an impact. He gave me the ability to build relationships with people, and to get them to see the greatness they have inside. To use these gifts as He intended, I have to put Him first in my life. 

I now live with a three pronged purpose. I want to live a Godly life, where my life becomes a testimony for others to see God's power and love. Second, I want to be a Godly husband. Third, I aspire to be a Godly father. I want to be the spiritual leader of my family, showing them unconditional love. 

I don't know where you are in your life right now, but I will tell you that God has a purpose for your life. And that purpose is far beyond anything you can imagine. God created you for something very special. If you seek Him, He will reveal your purpose to you. 

When you choose to put God first, your problems will not go away. What you will learn, however,  is that many of our problems are actually blessings. The adversity we face isn't happening to us, it is happening for us. God is working in my life through every single event. Everything that is happening is for His purpose. 

Once I realized that, life changed. My attitude changed. My behaviors changed. I was a better father and husband. I was a better teacher and coach. I began to live with a joy that nothing in this world can break me. 

Sometimes we get to such a low point that we just feel broken. We feel like nothing we can ever do will make things right. There is one person who can pick up the pieces. That person is our Father in Heaven. He will put us back together, and he will put us back together so much better than we ever have been. 

In Finding Faith, I write about the steps I have taken to change my life. I talk about how to pray, how to read scripture, and how to make monumental change. I give you some tools you can use to live a life far beyond anything you have ever thought possible. I wrote the book to make an impact on others, and show them there is a better way. 

The book is available as a paperback on Amazon, and as an eBook for the Kindle App. The cool thing about the Kindle app is that you can read the book on any device. I invite you to read it, and discover the power you receive when you make a decision to walk with the Lord. Here is a link to the book: Finding Faith

Since publishing the book, I have received numerous texts, calls, and emails, from people who are going through similar trials and tribulations. They were feeling many of the same things I was feeling. The found comfort in the book. They also found they had a desire to change and to live better. They wanted more joy. 

I would invite you to read the book and discover the possibilities that God has planned for your life.