Miming My Way Out of Comfort

The Italian Flag (Taken by Sarah Nichols)

When I was in Italy I had the opportunity to aid a local Church plant in the city of Udine by performing a few mimes. We set up in the streets and started the music, then began our performances. Despite our lack of knowledge concerning the Italian language, my friends and I were able to share the beauty of the Gospel through our actions rather than our words. I was honored, however, in being asked to speak publicly after each performance with the aid of a translator. I also was asked to participate in a mime performance for a dinner gathering for some college students attending the University of Udine.                                          

Miming on the streets of Udine (Photo taken by Sarah Nichols)

Speaking with a translator (taken by Sarah Nichols)

These tasks were definitely outside my comfort zone, and when I was offered to speak publicly I found it hard to not decline. I was scared to stand in front of my friends, let alone dozens of strangers who didn't even understand my language. My trip to Italy took me outside of my safety zone and made me trust God in way I had not previously done. My walls were down and I was open to the probing of the Holy Spirit in my heart.

I didn't see anyone come to Christ during my trip there, but God did a work in me that I never could have imagined. I grew in my faith and was made a godlier man through the challenges that God presented to me while I was there. My love for the Church as a whole grew from that experience. I learned to trust God and to look for the works of His Spirit in my life, to be willing to take on challenges and to not stay in the safety zones of life.