Labor Day

Last night I stopped and looked at the sky. Have any of you noticed how spectacular the sky is at night? I'm guilty of taking it for granted. Abram/Abraham must have been stupified when God told him his descendants would be like the stars in the sky.

Speaking of Abraham- yesterday I heard something profound in church. We were talking about Abraham's story and how it was significant to us, personally. A young guy shared taking emotional solace in the idea that "sometimes God just calls us to wander." It's true, I think. Sometimes following God and obeying God doesn't lead you directly to the "promised land." Sometimes you end up in places and situations that stretch you WAY out of your comfort zone. God's purposes are God's purposes- for us to expect to understand them is laughable, really. An ant could no better understand my thoughts and feelings than I could understand God's plans.

The Abraham story impacted me differently than everybody else. Essentially, God just tells him, "hey buddy, I want you to leave your home, your land, and everything that protects you in this life. And I want you to go somewhere else. I'll tell you where sometime in the future, ok?" And Abraham doesn't ask why, he doesn't balk, he simply obeys! What an amazing act of faith, right?

But then fast forward one chapter and his faith is gone. He travels into Egypt and he is afraid for his life so he lies and gives his wife over to pharaoh for dubious purposes. (Sucks for Sarai!) I find myself thinking, THIS is the guy? THIS is who God wanted to make into a nation? And, men sure treated women badly in the ancient Middle-East!

But then I start to detect a pattern: God used ordinary folks all the time! Abram didn't trust God to protect him (not once but twice) and ended up trying to tell lies to protect himself. Yet he was the one God chose to be the father of Israel (and all of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity). Elijah, one of the greatest OT prophets, struggled with the same doubts and insecurities! Fresh off of smiting 400 prophets of Baal and calling down the fires of heaven Elijah gets cold feet after a death threat. He runs away! I think after I called down the power of God so dramatically I would give a hearty laugh to a death threat. And King David, the King against whom all Kings are measured, was an adulterous murderer! He knocked off a soldier because he was hot for the guy's wife! Yet, these guys (at least, Abram and David) are ancestors of Jesus Christ himself! Remarkable.

Sometimes I get into a place where I am not willing to accept the magnitude of God's Grace. I think, I'm damaged goods. I've sinned too much, made too many bad choices, to be of any use to God. But then I contemplate the all-star team of flawed heroes found in the Bible- Rahab, Peter, Moses...the list goes on and on and on. And I realize I'm no different- that same God is available to me! Simply amazing.

Happy Labor Day!