The time has come. As I head out tomorrow for training and then
Hungary, I have been thinking a lot about this idea of leaving. Leaving
family, friends, comfort, familiarity, and so on. Everybody does
it(almost everybody)…I’ve done it with the World Race. It seems
almost harder this time because I have an idea of what to expect…
People
in the Bible were always leaving their life as they new it to pursue
God’s vision for them. Moses was pushed down a river (“leaving” his
family) before he could even make the choice himself; the rest of his
life surrounded leaving comfort and privilege to pursue God’s task of
leadership and redemption of His people.
Jacob had to flee from Esau after stealing his birthright. He leaves home and ends up in the desert first:
“12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth,
with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending
and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I
am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I
will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will
spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.
All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring
you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I
have promised you.” (Genesis 28:12-15)
God gives Him a promise
(the land), a task (multiply & bless), and a journey…Jacob has to
LEAVE this piece of land to inherit it.
There are many, many
more examples throughout the Bible of God’s promises to those who obey
His instruction to get up and go. In my case, I tend to allow fear to
enter in. Fear for family and friends’ safety and fear that I will miss
out on the lives of the people I love.
I had trouble sleeping
last night. It took me forever to go to sleep (after 1 am) and I
snapped awake at 6:30 am this morning with my mind running a mile a
minute. (I always do that before I travel). One thing that was running
through my mind was something God was speaking to me about leaving and
missing out on others lives. God was telling me this morning that I am
not responsible for others’ lives; that I cannot bare this
responsibility. He was telling me that if I don’t follow His leading
then I will miss out on my own ABUNDANT LIFE! Wow! What a life-giving
rebuke from God. I HAVE TO LEAVE TO DISCOVER THE ABUNDANT LIFE GOD HAS
FOR ME.
I will miss my family and friends. I will miss my life
here at home. It will be a struggle to be gone again during the
holidays. To not be able to come home. This is okay! I learned last
year during World Race training that is okay to grieve and to struggle
through things while still following the path of God. Last year we were
asked to do something called “Grief Journaling.” This is where we had
to sit and write out everything that’s on our mind, what we are sad
about, anything and anyone in our life that comes to mind that has ever
hurt us, etc…to allow ourselves to grieve instead of pushing it aside
and just trying to “get over it.” Everyone grieves in different ways
and at different speeds. They MUST be allowed to do this! Don’t rush it!
Leaving
is a part of life and God has asked me to do it at this time. Does this
mean I won’t miss those I love, be sad about not being “around”, or
grieve? As Paul says, “BY NO MEANS!” It just means I am walking in the
abundant love God has created for me. I can’t wait!
