Change?
“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation…’”   - Genesis 12.1-2a

Thus begins a saga of the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Abram has spent 75 years close to dear old dad, Terah, on his father’s land. He’s married Sarai and they have never been able to produce children. One day, we are told, God comes to him and changes his life! God tells Abram not just to move outside his comfort zone, but to take Sarai and MOVE out of their beloved home! Wow! We might be given to believe that all would be smooth sailing for the two of them, since they were doing what God has told them to do.
They are in for a big surprise. It seems that nothing is simple when it comes to following God’s instructions. Abram loves this God who has spoken to him. Trust that God? Eh, that’s the sticky part. His wavering faith and his need to do things his way cause many troubles for he and Sarai. Also sorts of disasters come their way and yet, they persevere on their journey. God shows them that the land of Canaan will be where they will become the ancestors of a great nation. At one point, to avoid famine, the two of them go to Egypt. Not because of any command from God. They went there because Abram was large and in charge of his own life, thank you very much!  He manipulates Pharaoh through trickery and deceit, God gets cranky with Pharaoh; and eventually Pharaoh makes things right by telling Abram to take all that he has received from Pharaoh and get out of Egypt.
Sarai has still not been able to give Abram an heir, so she takes the situation and insists that her slave, Hagar, sleep with Abram. Ishmael is born of that union. Eventually, when Abram is about 99 years old, God changes their names to Abraham and Sarah. Sarah at last becomes a mother to her own child, Isaac. A whole lot of challenges come their way in this story. I invite you to read Genesis starting at Chapter 12, Verse 1 and “hear” the story in its fullness. The story of Abraham and Sarah is a story of change, fear, doubt, growth, and trust in God.
I enjoy this story. Too often we don’t read these “overarching” stories of the lives of individuals in the Bible. I enjoy it, because it reminds me that “change” can be scary. Even though we know that God has promised to be with us through those changes, we still get nervous and want to solve every challenge ourselves or go back to the familiar where we believe it might be safe. Every time there is a hiccup, a bump in that road of change, we forget that God is there and we need not be afraid. We begin to hear our voices instead of God. Disaster ensues, because it isn’t God’s instructions but our own fears we are following. Sometimes, at the very last minute we wake up and hear God encouraging us to “choose life” and travel on, living into the changes.
Change, as it has been said, is inevitable in life. Acceptance and trust are choices we have to make. In the end, Abraham trusts God and accepts the inevitable changes before him. It sure isn’t easy or simple. Yet the results, over time, are wondrous to behold. Where are you facing change in your life? In the life of your family or friends? Keep traveling. Trust God. New life is only possible when we do!