Last week we explored some of the experiences of Abram (later called Abraham), beginning with his holy friendship with God. Remember? It’s recorded in Genesis, the first book of Judeo-Christian Holy Scripture, specifically in Genesis 12:1, 12:6-9, 13:3-4. Here, God instructed Abram to leave everything and everyone familiar to him, keep going until he got to the land God would show him, and Abram did so.
Why is it important to explore what happened in Abram’s life? Because, as is true in so much of the Bible, what happened to him can tell us a lot about what happens to us. For example, his return to places he’d already been speaks to me of the human need to think about what has transpired and what is yet to occur.
We all start momentous times in our lives by considering the past, weighing it against what we currently see, and noting what needs to happen in order to achieve our goals. For many of us it means asking how we’re different from the people we were the last time we were “here,” how we’ve grown, what still needs attention.
It’s the same, whether the comparison is of emotional and mental growth or a change of physical location. Following the apostle Paul’s advice to the Romans, and looking at Abram’s journey as an example —
For all those words which were written long ago are meant to teach us today; that when we read in the scriptures of the endurance of men and of all the help that God gave them in those days, we may be encouraged to go on hoping in our own time. ~ Romans 15:4, J.B. Phillips New Testament
– it’s pretty obvious that Abram continued to look to the Lord, the One who originally sent him away from his family home, and asked Him, “Where do I go now?” Those of us who know the Lord and have a personal relationship with Him will want to do the same thing: thanking Him for who He is, asking Him what’s best, and consulting Him throughout the process.
Matt and I are doing that. For three years, we have lived in a small town halfway up the side of a mountain. It’s both more challenging and exceedingly more wonderful than anything we imagined when we arrived. Living in a house that requires wood to stay warm is definitely an experience, a requisite we hadn’t grasped when we moved in. After all, there was a wall heater. Turns out, that heater warms an area about six feet around it and is very expensive to run. However, if one flips that coin of experience over, there’s the sheer delight of living in a community that doesn’t care one whit how you look or how you talk: you’re accepted just as you are. In all my life, I’ve *never* experienced that. And looking out the back door to see forest? Whoo boy! Nothing, absolutely nothing, compares.
Still, our time here is done. My husband is blessed to continue the same job he had when we moved here, a very good thing, although we hoped other jobs would open up closer to our present home. Those “strong possibilities” never transpired, and the commute continues to exhaust him. Add to that all the work that goes into collecting the wood we need to burn when the weather’s cold: finding it in the forest, cutting it down, bringing it home, splitting it, stacking it to dry, then restacking the seasoned wood months later so the strong winds that either scream up the ridge from the valley or come hurtling down from higher elevations don’t knock the stacks over (yes, it’s happened). All the weekends for 4 1/2-5 months, stretching from when the forest roads open up (somewhere between April 1st and June 15th) are taken up with collecting and processing the wood we burn, so Matt has no time to relax and enjoy the beautiful, short, mountain summers. “Can’t you help him, Margret?” you wonder. When we first moved here yes, but sadly no longer, as this autoimmune disease continues to progress.
So, we’re going back to the valley we left…closer to Matt’s job and warmer for me. Are we discouraged to return? No. We know it’s time. Do we feel as though we’re failures? Indeed not! We’ve learned much about ourselves, each other, and the amazing hardscrabble life people had before central heat and air became the norm.
Life happens to each of us, dear ones. It happened to Abram, it happens to us and it will happen to you. We grow, we learn, we adapt, we find out what works and what doesn’t, we discover blessings we hadn’t noticed before. And if we need to return to a place we already know? We do so grateful for what we learned and grateful for possibilities that are new yet old. Whatever this year holds for you and yours, rest assured the Lord is right there with you, helping you see what works best, and blessing your endeavors.
Until next week, when I’ll once again be writing from 45 feet above sea level rather than 4,000 feet, all of Heaven’s best to you and yours.
Margret
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Thanks to our good friend Kyle at Ignite 107FM we have finally learned how to correctly pronounce former Live frontman Ed Kowalczyk’s name correctly! You will also learn through Kyle’s interview with Ed it’s quite a ride for him recently. After 20 million plus records sold world wide he had a rough fall out with the band, but is now becoming a solo artist with a genuine heart for the poor (this guy has 10 World Vision sponsor kids… wow!)
Here’s the full unedited version which includes a lot of talk between music breaks. Let us know what you learned through their interview in the comment box below.
I found an awesome video interview with Katy Perry on rollingstone.com. Please take some time today to really hear what she is saying and you’ll know without a doubt that God is a part of her life. I was really moved when she talked about how her parents never hid anything from Katy about their lives growing up in the 60′s. I only wish my parents when they were raising me up in the Church had that same kind of courage, instead of putting on a Christian face that made everything look good on the outside.
I know a lot of you are not happy to see some of the choices Katy has and will continue to make, but please be mindful that what you see in a picture today, is not always the truth. I look forward to hearing your feedback on this interview in the comment box below it.
Today, I’m reviewing the new project from Aaron Shust called “This Is What We Believe” on Centricity Music. It came out today and is available at your favorite music shop.
The album came out of a difficult season of Aaron’s life, as his two-year-old son, Nicky, was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a rare and extremely painful condition in which Nicky was unable to take in any nutrition. After months in the hospital and doctors’ countless attempts to find a cure for his ailment, Nicky’s tests came back normal, and a disease that should have been permanent, seemed to have disappeared. During that time, Aaron also lost his grandmother.
But through all the sickness and heartache, Aaron’s family never lost faith. This new project is about God’s healing power and the need to constantly embrace God’s promises and presence. Here is a little bit of what Aaron said about it…
Over the years. I’ve written a lot of songs speaking to my own soul the way David did in the Psalms: ‘Why are you downcast? Put your hope in God.’ But these new songs are a much bolder declaration. They come out of a difficult season, and these are declarations about who God is and who we are in Him because of His great love for us. This whole project is really about praising him simply for who he is.
This new project is a bit different from his other 3 projects as it’s more worship based and focuses on what God has done and is doing in Aaron’s life and family.
Here are some of my favorite tracks and what they mean to me.
Track #1 “This Is What We Believe” – This is an anthem to let everyone know what we believe and why.
Track #2 “My Hope Is In You” – This is my favorite song on the entire project. This line from the song…” My hope is in you Lord all day long, I won’t be shaken by drought or storm” speaks to me where I am right now as I’m waiting for what God has promised me. I can depend on Him in my weakness.
Track #6 – “Never Been A Greater Love” – This song reminds me that we are never alone and He is always with us in our time of need. His love is forever and we are never forgotten.
This is an amazing project full of songs that talk about how our God gave up His life for us and how He is with us through all our trials and triumphs that we face in our daily lives.
Track Listing:
1. This Is What We Believe
2. My Hope Is In You
3. Your Majesty
4. Risen Today
5. Sing of My Redeemer
6. Never Been A Greater Love
7. Greater is He
8. Wondrous Love
9. We Are Free
10. God So Loved The World
Thanks so much for reading. I hope when you listen to this new project from Aaron it will speak to you as it has spoken to me.Here’s more from Aaron about his latest project and I hope to hear what you think of it. Post your comments in the box below this video.
