We have been in Panama for about six weeks. In some ways it feels like much has been accomplished in that time and in other ways it feels very little has been accomplished in that time.  Overall, I know this is a BIG deal! Over the past month or so we have settled into our apartment and all that entails…multiple visits to home stores, moving furniture around and making sure we have all we need to do life here.  So it (kind of) feels like we live here now. 

However, on top of that I learned how to drive manual/stick shift, took up Spanish and have been put out of my comfort zone more times than ever before in my life. It’s been six weeks of growth and by no means have a mastered any of these new skills, but I am doing them.  It’s almost hard to believe and brings tears to my eyes because I know I can only do these things through the strength of Christ. I was at a point before where I think subconsciously I had written off really new things…and then God put Panama in my path.

It also has me thinking how much we are capable of. So many times we limit ourselves. We think we are too old to learn something new, too scared to break out of our comfort zone, and too stuck in current ways to think ‘what if?’ I am in no way suggesting you pack up and move to another country. But with just a little stretching of ourselves God can work through us and continue to mold us.  I can tell you first-hand it’s incredible (oh, but so hard and there are days that feel impossible) if we just give it to Him.

You don’t have to change everything but don’t let your current situation, or the limits you put on yourself stop you from new things, different things, or things out of your comfort zone.  It could be a task (like learning how to drive manual) or something a bit more involved (like learning how to understand another culture). Regardless of what it is I truly believe each one of us is capable of more than we can ever imagine and God uses these tasks, situations and lessons for His glory.