I could still hear myself saying, “I don’t want to go. I want to stay here.”
Moving to a different city is not as easy as it sounds. For 20 years, my family and I have been moving from one city to another. I was born in Bacolod, grew up in Dumaguete, and when I was entering high school, we transferred to General Santos City. In 2016, my parents, being missionaries, decided to move to Palawan to start a new chapter in our lives.
When I say we left everything, we really did. All our furniture and kitchen appliances were donated. We also had to donate most of our clothes and shoes so that we could travel light.
Not only did we leave most of our things, we also had to leave some of the people close to us. Moving to a different city also means leaving the people close to your heart behind and it was the hardest thing for me to do. Staying at a city for many years, I’ve created a bond with the people I’ve been with and it was hard for me to leave them behind, meet new people, and adjust to a new environment again.
At that time, I was already in my second year in college and I couldn’t imagine myself having to experience another whirlwind of adjusting again. I didn’t want to leave because I was already feeling settled. I already developed a sense of familiarity. Doubts then flooded my mind. What if I can’t find new friends? What if I had to take my subjects again at the new school? What if I didn’t like Palawan? I had so many “what ifs” and it was too much for me to handle. I knew it would cause a drastic change in my life and I just wasn’t ready for it. I wanted to stay.
But a few months before our trip to Palawan, I remembered a song that we used to sing in the choir when I was a kid. A particular line from the song struck me:
“Lord, open up my eyes so I can see what you have prepared in store for me. Take my hows and whys, my doubts and fears; fill my heart with peace, wipe away my tears. Show me what it means to trust in You; believe in what you say, teach me to let go.”
And that’s how I knew it was the Lord’s plan for me. I knew that I wouldn’t be in a situation where I should give up everything if it won’t be for my own good. I was standing at the crossroads and I had to choose which way to go, and the only way was to trust in Him. All I had to do was step out of my comfort zone. And I did. I embraced the change that God brought into my life. It was a rollercoaster ride but I was able to get through it.
As painful as embracing change can be, you have to understand that God will never let you go through it if you can’t surpass it. The Bible says that we have to trust in God and He will direct our paths. If you step out of your comfort zone, you will realize that there is more to life than just sticking to a routine. You may not understand it now but it will eventually make sense.
The opportunity to have a fresh start was God’s way of letting me upgrade myself. If I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, I wouldn’t be the person that I am now. My eyes are now opened to the reality that whatever I may encounter in life, may it be a small or drastic change, it’s the Lord plan for me; just as what is said in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
You may already have a plan for your future but God’s plan will always be greater than yours. God already has something in store for you and it will be greater than what you’ve ever imagined. You just have to trust Him, even if it means giving up everything. Be willing to take a risk. Never hold yourself back and let yourself grow in the process of changing, then everything will fall according to God’s plan. Everything will be worth it in the end.
Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone?
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