Abraham (of Old Testament fame) has been hailed the father of faith because of his sheer obedience to God on countless occasions. One of my favorite examples is when God tells him to “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.” Abraham responded with eyes of faith and feet of obedience: He “left, as the Lord had told him.” Without even knowing where God was sending him, he packed up all his belongings and convinced his wife that they were moving out. (Imagine that conversation?!)
At some point in the journey, God’s directions got a little clearer. (Forward motion brings clarity of vision.) “They set out for the land of Canaan.” As he followed faithfully, Abraham got more details on where he was headed.
Let’s back up a little bit. Just before this story unfolds, another story wraps up. Abraham’s dad, Terah, embarked on a similar journey years before. “Terah took his son… his grandson…and his daughter-in-law, and together they set out… to go to Canaan.”
God sent Terah to Canaan; Terah heard and obeyed. At least initially. He set out to go to Canaan, but he never made it. “When they came to Haran, they settled there.” Terah gave up too soon. I’m sure the road was long and hard, the desert sun scorching hot, and the distance just too great. So he opted to settle in Haran instead of pushing on. Maybe Terah planned to just rest for a while. I can almost hear him: “Let’s regroup, gather some new supplies, and then we’ll head back out.” But life in Haran was comfortable; it was too hard to leave. “Terah…died in Haran.”
When we settle, we stagnate.
Knowing all this, I read God’s command to Abraham a little differently. “Leave your… father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.” God was asking him—challenging him—to leave behind his father’s way of thinking. To intentionally leave his comfortable place of “settlement” and walk through the difficult desert. Abraham left behind more than his country and his father’s household; he left behind his settlement mentality.
He set out for Canaan. And he arrived there.
I’m looking in my heart to find all the places I’ve set up camp. I need to shake the dust off my feet and keep moving forward, away from the places I know I’ve settled for less than what God has called me to.
It’s moving day.
wow, this is really good, Alece.
“(Forward motion brings clarity of vision.)” that is so true! i have come to know it every day of my life here in Fredericksburg. i keep moving forward on what i believe He has told me to do until He says “stop here” or “now, go here.” so true.
thanks for writing. :)
By: Hannah on July 30, 2008
at 2:03 am
oh i got in the first comment! …. and the second haha. those are hard to get these days!
By: Hannah on July 30, 2008
at 2:04 am
haha, okay one more thing. i like that the “N” is technically the only capitol letter in “moviNg” or the “i” and the “g” are the only lower case.
it just catches me funny i guess. i would probably write like that too.
By: Hannah on July 30, 2008
at 2:08 am
Great thoughts, Alece. I love how you strung this all together. I never realized that Terah also set out for Canaan.
Open my eyes to see the complacent. Prepare myself for action. Move. Good words.
By: annie on July 30, 2008
at 2:14 am
Ok, i saw 476 comments on the previous blog. I’m not even going there. I didn’t read all 10 stories. I remembered yours from the first time I read it and recalled it well- it reminded me so much of me and Leah in the old days. Anyway, I skimmed the others, they sucked, I voted for yours.
I had my cup of Oregon Chai, finally, and thought of you…
By: Christen on July 30, 2008
at 4:17 am
Thanks for this Alece. It’s just what I needed to hear.
By: Megan on July 30, 2008
at 6:08 am
This was really good….. thought provoking
By: Anna on July 30, 2008
at 7:15 am
Great post! Your writing rocks!
By: Lisa Ruggles on July 30, 2008
at 8:09 am
dang.
give.
us.
more.
By: mandythompson on July 30, 2008
at 8:53 am
“You won’t realize the distance you’ve walked until you take a look around and realize how far you’ve been.”
I’m moving too!!!
By: Heidi on July 30, 2008
at 9:01 am
Wow. A lesson we can all learn. That was tremendous, sister.
By: Cindy Beall on July 30, 2008
at 10:13 am
I’ve always been so intrigued by Terah as well. It’s seems like thats a far too easy place to get to in our hearts. It starts with obedience and ends with comfort or distraction.
Thanks for sharing this, it’s good. I’ll have to save it and come back often.
Love you.
By: yeller on July 30, 2008
at 10:19 am
I’m waiting to read this when there are no kiddos up…I started and kept losing my place. ;-)
BTW, you have mail.
By: Bran Muffin on July 30, 2008
at 10:49 am
You are a sage of the blogosphere my wise friend.
This is the line that I am pondering:
Forward motion brings clarity of vision.
By: @ngie on July 30, 2008
at 10:50 am
I <3 this post.
Yes, forward motion brings clarity of vision sticks out to me, too. Something I’ve realized and seen realized a lot, lately.
Thanks, Alece. Thanks.
By: roo on July 30, 2008
at 11:04 am
hannah — three comments in a row! way to score gold, silver, and bronze! listen for that still small voice behind you saying “this is the way, walk in it.” (isaiah 30:21)
annie — i liked your 3 sentence summary there at the end. perfect-o!
christen — thanks for voting for mine. and i’m glad you enjoyed that cup of chai. i need to get me some today!
megan — why do you look so sad?!?! :)
anna — for me, too!
lisa — wow. thank you!
mandypants — please sir, can i have some more?
heidi — mmm… great quote!
cindy — it’s one i’m still trying to learn!
yeller — “it starts with obedience and ends with comfort or distraction” — i do that far too often.
BM — thanks for my mail. and i’ll see you later!
@ngie — i had to laugh at the honorary title you gave me… thanks!
roo — are you getting clarity of vision?
By: alece on July 30, 2008
at 11:11 am
I am. I’m definitely getting more practical ways to work towards what seems so far away. Realizing that I can be involved in my future… now.
By: roo on July 30, 2008
at 11:14 am
that’s great, smiley! you can be involved in your future now, but make sure you don’t forfeit your present in doing so. (what’s that b-word? aaah… balance!)
By: alece on July 30, 2008
at 11:15 am
:) True. It’s been fun, too. I’m weighing options for what I’ll do after college (maybe a bit of working and then grad school?), and it’s fun to dream. I do a bit of random researching here and there… figuring out options, and then just time in prayer about it. It’s refreshing.
By: roo on July 30, 2008
at 11:54 am
Gideon is in our office right now. He’s been a student here for 2 1/2 years without his family. He left his wife and three young daughters back in Nigeria to study here.
His family has never been able to get visas. denied every time. Back in December he decided that he would not continue here, but go back to his family, knowing that it was IMPOSSIBLE for his family to receive visas to join him here.
He spent the summer with his family. Intending to stay in Nigeria for good, but a woman from church told him to pray about visas - thanking God for granting them to him. He did. He went to the Embassy a few weeks ago, asking for Visas. The consular didn’t even interview him, just told him he would not get visas… while the man was filling out Gideon’s paper work, he looked at him and told him to return on Friday to pick up his visas.
Gideon has no idea what happened… He returned to America last week with two of his daughters. His wife and youngest will arrive in September.
He just stood here in front of my desk, telling me this entire story. And proclaiming Genesis 12 as the verse that God has used to confirm over and over and over again that he was to leave his father’s country and house and take his family here.
HERE
and now his family is HERE.
he just stood here and told me 20 minutes worth of stories like this.
By: mandythompson on July 30, 2008
at 12:28 pm
Wow. Wow.
Mandy, wow.
That one is…. I can’t even comprehend that very well. Wow.
By: roo on July 30, 2008
at 1:11 pm
Roo: there are a number of men who come here without their families… you’d be surprised the sacrifice they make. and then, somehow miraculously, the families end up coming sometimes… the stories. there are lots of them
By: mandythompson on July 30, 2008
at 1:30 pm
I got a letter!!! I got a letter!!!! Just had to share….:lol:
Mandy!!! Amen!!! This is so key!!! “but a woman from church told him to pray about visas - thanking God for granting them to him.”
Thank you!!!
By: 1godsgal on July 30, 2008
at 2:43 pm
mandy, what a testimony! praise God for His favor for this man, Gideon and his family!
By: Hannah on July 30, 2008
at 4:14 pm
Mandy that is an incredible story and testimony.
WOW, that blew me over!!
By: Heidi on July 30, 2008
at 4:28 pm
That is true, Mandy. My “hometown” of Omaha, NE actually has a huge percentage of Sudanese refugees. Sooooo, I got to know a bit about that process toward the end of my high school career. But it still amazes me how God can put all the pieces together.
By: roo on July 30, 2008
at 7:14 pm
mandy — God rocks. thanks for sharing that wonderful story!
By: alece on July 30, 2008
at 7:59 pm
Love your post Alece! Some very good thoughts here. The last line is my favorite. ;-)
Mandy, that story gave me chills. VERY COOL!
Love you!
By: Brandy on July 30, 2008
at 8:49 pm
thanks, raisin bran. how was your day?
By: alece on July 30, 2008
at 9:06 pm
I can totally relate to this blog (and Abraham) :) I feel like all I’m doing is getting up and moving. Sometimes I just want to be settled and all, but then I’m reminded in my heart of this wonderful story and my heart stirs all over again. Thanks for the gentle reminder!!!
By: moweezle on August 1, 2008
at 1:07 pm
mo — i know what you mean! thanks for popping in to share that.
By: alece on August 6, 2008
at 12:58 am