As children of God, we are often asked to do things that take us out of our comfort zones. Because of this, we feel inadequate, and because of that, we get angry and resentful. This happened to me at my first job in an elementary school. In addition to being a duty aide in the cafeteria, I also worked as a para-professional. My job was to assist the reading teacher, but sometimes, I was asked to fill in for a one-on-one aide for a boy with down-syndrome in kindergarten. I did not feel any animosity towards the boy, but I did feel that I was completely out of my element. How was I to handle him? What was he capable of doing? What wasn’t he? Was I supposed to let him do what he wanted when the others were doing something else, or was I supposed to encourage, finagle, etc. him to join the group? Para-professionals (teacher’s aides) are often thrown into situations with no training. That is what happened to me.
I found that the more I was asked to do the job, the more I learned, so I gained knowledge and confidence each time. I also learned that when we do step out of our comfort zones and let go of the anger and resentment, God will reward us. I was sitting next to my charge one day when another little boy went into the bathroom (this kindergarten room had its own). It was a week or so before Christmas, and the class was quietly working on a project.
Echoing from the bathroom came the sound of a young voice singing, “Go tell it . . .” He stopped momentarily, enjoying the acoustics. “Go tell it on the mountain,” he continued, “over the hills and every where. Go tell it on the mountain . . .” I was smiling by this point as was most of the class. We had all stopped what we were doing and were looking at the bathroom door. “Finish it,” I thought, “come on. I want to hear the rest!” And then he did. He belted out, “that Jesus Christ is born.” Next, he poked his head out of the door and grinned at us. I smiled back and silently applauded.
That moment was worth every bit of nervousness and discomfort I had experienced. That was God’s way of rewarding me for stepping out of my comfort zone. So, the next time you are asked to do something you don’t really want to, it is okay to be nervous, but don’t refuse to do it, and don’t get angry. You will almost certainly learn something new, and who knows? You might be serenaded by a little angel. I know I was.