Acts 9:1-31 The Conversion of Saul

If you were in a mainline church yesterday, one that uses the revised common lectionary  you probably heard most of this story .   This is the Damascus Road experience, Saul, later to become known as Paul, is struck blind  as he is on his way to Damascus to arrest some of the Christians there.   In this great moment Saul goes from  being a persecutor of the early church to its biggest champion.  After his Damascus Road experience Saul stumbles into to Damascus and convalesces for three days.  On the third day, a disciple named Ananias lays hands on Saul. Saul is immediately filled with the Holy Spirit and receives his sight back. Immediately, he begins preaching the risen Christ. This, of course, angers the Jews and throughout the rest of the reading we hear of Saul  trying to  avoid the Jews who want to kill him.  At one point Saul narrowly escapes as he is let over the city wall in a basket.  

As I reread this story, I was very much drawn to the disciple Ananias. Like Saul, Ananias has a vision of Christ, in which he is told to go an lay hands on Saul.  Ananias is reluctant though as he has heard of the terrible things this Saul guy has done.  Christ though presses Ananias to do something way outside of his comfort zone.  Are there not times that Christ invites us to do things outside of our comfort zones?  I have found that when I have followed Christ to places outside of my comfort zone, I have been able to experience Christ in new, fascinating, and often times energizing ways.  I have also found that often when outside of my comfort zones God is able to work through me in ways I might have never imagined.  For when we go to those place outside of our comfort zones, Christ goes there with us, enabling to do those things he is calling us to do.  When Ananias laid hands on Saul, Saul was filled by the Holy Spirit, and that is something only God can do.  Where might God be calling you to step outside of your comfort zone?