-
Have you ever faced a challenge that was bigger than you? I have. And I want to tell you a story that I hope will inspire and encourage you.
I’m writing this on Black Friday. Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and it was a GREAT day at our house. In most ways it was no different than other years. Same food. Same schedule. Same cast of characters. Though yesterday’s 65 degree weather beat 2010’s ice by a country mile.
For our family this was a special Thanksgiving. We didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. But since I don’t really believe in “just happened” perhaps I should say that God planned it exactly as it went down. First, there is the food preparation. That can be taxing but it was smooth at our house. In fact, I even made dressing from scratch for the first time, and that was easy! (Why haven’t I done this before?) The turkey was juicy. The pie was succulent. The sweet potatoes flavorful. Everything came off perfectly on time. The food was wonderful.
Then, there is always family to contend with. This year our gathering was small; the four of us, my parents and my 88 year old grandmother. The conversation was pleasant and relaxed. After the meal the girls gave the grandparents the tour of their bedroom Christmas trees while Kel and I did dishes. Afterward everyone gathered in the living room to be serenaded by all manner of tunes accompanied by acoustic, electric, and base guitar along with piano. It was noisy, but it was pleasant. No social issues at all this year. That’s nice.
All this in the atmosphere of a roaring fire in the fireplace (which wasn’t needed because of the 65 degree weather, but I’ll turn on the air conditioner if I need to so that I can have a fire in the fireplace on Thanksgiving.)
To cap off a day that is going well, I had two baby calves born yesterday.
Fantastic!
As the day yielded to evening Kel and I smooched around in that way that always makes our daughters say “Ew, gross” we talked about how much we enjoyed the day. I’m telling you: yesterday was about as warm and cozy and Rockwellian as it could get.
As I prepared for bed I reflected on how great my life is. It’s really wonderful. I am living with an internal, pervasive, sense of YES!! that is exquisite. And then my thoughts turned to a challenge I am facing personally. It’s one of those challenges you can’t quite get your mind around. It could be nothing. It could be devastating. It could destroy me, or I could destroy it. Or “it” may not even be a real it, or it may be the biggest monster in the forrest. At this point we don’t know. (Stay with the story….don’t get distracted by my challenge, that isn’t the point.)
Pondering my great life, and the challenge, and God, and faith, I thought “This just can’t disappear.” God is a God of life and vitality, not death and destruction. And suddenly my confidence began growing even stronger.
I remembered my forefather, Abraham, the Old Testament patriarch who exhibited such great faith. I can only imagine that Abraham might have been experiencing a pervasive internal sense of YES!! He’d waited over 90 years for a son. God had promised him one, he’d grown weary of waiting, but in God’s time he delivered on the promise and his wife Sarah birthed a son they named Isaac. There’s the proof of YES!! The name means “laughter.” In Abraham’s old age his life is filled with laughter.The Bible records that Abraham was very wealthy, he now had the son he’d longed for, his life is full of laughter, he regularly walks and talks with God personally—-it’s about as good as it can get. (Cue the thunderstorm, lightening strike, and scary music here.) Then God instructed Abraham to take his son up on the mountain and sacrifice him as an offering to God.
What?! In the midst of such abundance a dark cloud of loss appears on the horizon. I can only imagine that Abraham might have thought “My life is so awesome. This just can’t disappear.”
Faithfully, Abraham loaded a donkey (I’ve got a couple of those) with firewood, and he and Isaac set off on a camping trip into the mountains where they would offer a sacrifice. As they traveled Isaac became confused. “Where is the lamb?” he inquired of his father. To which Abraham simply replied “God will provide.”
Stop and think a moment: God will provide. Do you believe that? Really?
I do.
As the story unfolds, Abraham and Isaac arrive at the point of sacrifice, and at the very precipice of the point-of-no-return God stopped Abraham from slaying his son and pointed him to a ram caught in the thicket that was to be the sacrifice offered to God.
Abraham walked faithfully even when he couldn’t understand, and God provided.
There is comfortable assurance in the right kind of faith. If you don’t have that kind of faith, it’s available. Anyone who will learn God’s character can also learn to live in faith that gives life. It doesn’t necessarily come easy, but it comes when you apply yourself to know God.
I don’t know what the future holds—-exactly. But I know who holds the future and I am supremely confident in His goodwill toward me and that this journey will unfold in a way that glorifies Him and allows me to continue to live with a pervasive, internal, sense of YES!! that I call Abundant Life.
When you face a challenge that is bigger than you, don’t faint. Lift your eyes in faith and look about. I’ll bet you’ll find a ram caught in a thicket.
“The Lord delights in the well-being of his servants.” (cf Ps 35:27)
Rest.
November 25, 2011Leave a reply
