Excitement permeated the air of my high school gym. The screams of rowdy fans, squeaky shoes running across the floor and two sweaty basketball teams were my entertainment for the night. We were in the throes of an intense game and I was on the cheerleader squad. I had to admit, I wasn’t super excited about cheering at this particular game. I dodged eye contact with one of the basketball players from the opposing team, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. The night could have went off without a hitch except for one small hiccup; that basketball player was my ex-boyfriend and it was about to get really embarrassing for me. His team re-bounded a ball and started running in my direction. Something happened and he fell and slid across the floor toward me. I just stood there kind of frozen as he slid under my cheerleading skirt………….um……I don’t know how a 16 year old girl recovers from the humiliating situation but I managed to fumble my way through the rest of the night. I think he stood up and apologized to me but I can’t honestly remember. Can you say AWKWARD???
AWKARD…..that sums up about 75% of my life. Stuff happens…it’s weird…I try to understand it but I don’t so I just move on. AWKWARD….when something should be easy but it’s not. AWKARD……when everything seems to be fine and BAM some embarrassing, humiliating incident sends you looking for a hole to bury your head in. Yeah I’ve had a few of those, chances are you have as well.
WHAT TO DO WITH AN AWKWARD MOMENT
First of all, awkward can mean a couple of different things. One definition has to do with a task being difficult or inconvenient. For instance, I find it awkward trying to hold my umbrella, coffee, purse, and snack bag when I’m trying to get out of my car. The last few days it’s been raining so I’ve been awkwardly getting out of my car with 4 or 5 items in my hands. It was cumbersome and annoying. I found myself getting angry as I was steadily dropping stuff on my way to the door.
I’ve had many times in my life when my God-given assignment was awkward. It was difficult. It was inconvenient. I found myself getting angry, slamming things, saying words I shouldn’t have said and wishing I was someone else. What I didn’t realize is God was using the awkward factor. Oh yes, the awkward factor is a nice little tool God has in His tool belt.
Let’s flip the coin. Why and how does God use this amazing awkward tool? I think you already know the how so let’s talk about the why.
God uses awkward moments to stretch us. I recently hired a personal trainer to help me reach my fitness goals. Let me just put it this way…it’s not a pretty situation. There is a lot of sweat involved. There are days I work out HARD twice a day. It is NOT CONVENIENT. It is NOT EASY. It is AWKWARD. But I’m stronger, healthier, and more fit as a result of this intense training. It has stretched me beyond what I thought I could ever do on my own. That is exactly the same thing God does to us when He allows awkward situations in our life. If we allow them to do their job they will make us stronger and stretch us beyond our comfort zones.
God uses awkward moments to change us. It’s not just about getting stronger but it’s also about transformation. Sometimes transformation requires a deeper work of foundational repair. Perhaps the situation is hard because you are responding incorrectly? Your repeated response is an indication that something deeper may need repair.
God uses awkward moments to position us. Difficult, tough moments can position us for our destiny. I was just reading this morning about Esther and her incredible story. It’s funny to me how we gloss over the fact that she was in the king’s harem BEFORE she was his wife. Can you say AWKWARD??? Yeah sure Lord I’ll do whatever you want me to do, right? I doubt she asked to be exploited and stripped of her virginity just so the king could decide if she was even wife material. But yet we see God use this incredibly AWKWARD situation to save an entire nation. Is there any situation He cannot use?
God uses awkward moments to cultivate dependence. Think about this: Satan’s ultimate sin was his independence from God. Rooted in pride, independence slakes our thirst for God. Without difficulty we often end up being the center of our own world and we feel we have no need for God in our lives. God is doing us a favor by allowing us to suffer some hardships. It keeps us in fellowship with Him.
The next time you’re tempted to despise your life and the awkwardness you live in, just remember how God uses awkward situations. Remember Esther; remember me in my ridiculous cheerleading skirt and choose to press on! Let awkwardness serve you instead of being chained to depression and mistrust. God is on your side and He has a plan
