1The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
I never realized this, but Abraham was following in the footsteps of his father. His father had been on a journey to Canaan when they arrived in Haran. For some reason they stopped, rather than continuing their journey. When his father dies the Lord tells Abraham that his journey is not finished. Are there journeys that we start as parents that we expect our children to finish? Do we put our kids in sports hoping they will do better than we did, that they will succeed where we failed? Do we put expectations on them that are really our own expectations for ourselves? What unfinished projects are we going to pass to the next generation? Abraham had a choice at this point in his life. He could continue settling down in his new home, or he could listen to the voice of God. He could stay where things were familiar and comfortable, where he now had some connection, or he could listen to the voice of the Lord and move on. The choice was his. Connections are important. Country, people and family are important. Because of poor family relationships young people often flee their families when they get a chance. They many times make a break from their families in hopes that making a break with the external family will create the break they need. But unfortunately, they take the family with them. They so often repeat the patterns of behavior they despise. The family is inside them. It is hard to run away from your people as well. Within the United States there are many peoples. The sub-cultures create the tapestry that is the United States. When someone tries to leave their own people they often don’t quite fit into the new people. It takes a time of adjustment. Often that adjustment involves another person. But Abraham was called to not just leave his family and his people, the Lord called him to leave his country as well. Everything that was in the least familiar would be left behind. Language, customs, values, and ways of doing things would all be different in the new country. Those who move to the United States take two or three generations to make the transition. The Lord calls Abraham to start that journey. Would you be willing to leave family, people and country if the Lord called you to do so?
The Arnold Journey 