All the Easy Places Are Taken
We live in a world designed around comfort and convenience. Almost everything in our daily lives is structured to keep us safe, predictable, and in control. We manage our schedules down to the minute, stay inside our familiar bubbles, and try our best to avoid physical friction. But when we look at living a life of true eternal significance, we eventually run right into a simple, challenging truth: all the easy places are taken.
If we’re serious about living on mission, we have to stop treating comfort as our ultimate goal. The places and hearts that desperately need hope are rarely easy to reach. They aren’t well-paved or easily accessible. They require real physical effort, endurance, and a willingness to trade our predictable routines for uncertain terrain.
For many of us, our initial urge to step into difficult or remote environments starts with a simple desire for adventure. We love the idea of stepping out of the ordinary, pushing our boundaries, or having a story-worthy experience. But adventure alone isn't enough to sustain us when we're exhausted, overwhelmed, or completely out of our depth. Thrill fades fast when real friction sets in—when the food is strange, the days are long, and we're at the end of ourselves. What turns a temporary thrill into a lifelong conviction is what we can call purposeful abandonment.
"In the middle of unpredictable spaces, we learn what it really means to abide, lean on God, and cultivate a steadfast heart."
Purposeful abandonment isn't about being reckless or careless. It’s the intentional decision to set aside our constant demand for comfort and control so we can be fully present to what God is doing. It means stripping away the daily noise, constant digital distractions, and self-sufficiency that usually cushion our lives. When we step past our comfort zones, our illusion of control crumbles—and that is usually the exact moment our spiritual vision finally gets clear. In the middle of unpredictable spaces, we learn what it really means to abide, lean on God, and cultivate a steadfast heart.
It is so easy to hesitate at the edge of something hard because we fear the risk. We worry about discomfort, crazy logistics, or things not going according to our carefully crafted plans. We worry about whether our small efforts will even make a difference. But God doesn't just work in the big, headline moments; He works deeply in the small, everyday acts of obedience. The greatest risk we face isn't that stepping into hard places will be difficult—it’s that by clinging tightly to our safety nets, we miss out on watching God move.
This isn't just about hiking into a remote village or traveling across the ocean; it’s a daily posture of trading convenience for a clear calling. Every one of us is invited to stop playing it safe, step out of our comfort zones, and lean into the inconvenient spaces right in front of us. And if you fall short or feel fear creep in along the way... congrats, you're human! Just get up the next day and choose obedience again. Because when we finally trade our obsession with comfort for His Kingdom, we discover that the hard places—the ones no one else wants to visit—are often where God's presence feels the closest and most real.
Anna Thatcher serves as Engagement Manager at GO InterNational, where she oversees digital communications, storytelling, and creative strategy. A graduate of Asbury University with degrees in Equine Studies and Media Communications, Anna combines her love for missions and media to help tell the stories of how God is working through GO’s global partners. Her passion for missional ministry began in high school and deepened through leadership roles in on-campus missions organizations. At GO, Anna helps connect people to the mission—planting the Church where it isn’t and celebrating the discipleship movements already taking root around the world.
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