It is refreshing when we can take time away from the daily routine, change our pace, and go in a different direction. We usually refer to these times as “vacation.” That is, when the plan is ours, we set the pace, and decide the direction.
There are times in our lives when these same situations are forced upon us. We tend to look upon such times as inconveniences, and begrudge having our style cramped. We need to pause at such times, and consider.
Not all inconveniences are meant to be dismissed. Some come into our lives with a purpose and a message. We can see this in the story of Genesis 12, where Abram is inconvenienced. The story says that the Lord sent Abram off from the land he knew into a land unknown. As he sent him, the Lord tells Abram: I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. And so Abram went forth, to a place he did not know, toward a future he could not see, and a direction he had not planned.
Peter Cameron writes that Because Abram…accepted this new measure for his life that came from God, the Lord made of him a great nation and made his name great.
And the Lord did it, not in Abram’s lifetime, but long after his death. Abram himself never got to see the promise fulfilled. And yet, Abraham is honored now probably more than any other religious figure we know, by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. And when you look closely at Abram’s life, you cannot find any extraordinary deeds, only a boundless faith.
We need to be aware that when we are imposed upon, it may well be a new measure being offered to us. Can we make it into a place of grace? Are we able believe without having to have it all spelled out?
No comments:
Post a Comment