ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP
When Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees to travel to an unknown location, I'm sure that it was rather nerve-racking for him and his family. To leave the comfort of the familiar and the security of those you know and love, all for what you believe to be the instruction of God, is a daunting experience for anyone—even the 'father of the faith.' Throughout his journeys, he made some good choices and some bad choices. There were times when he clearly sensed God's leading and times when he felt as though God was ominously silent. But perhaps what Abraham learned in his lifetime was that it was not as important to always 'get where he was going' as it was to recognize the hand of God that was leading him.
It has often been noted by secular philosophers that success is not the arrival at a destination, but rather the journey itself. Certainly that maxim holds true within Christian circles, as well. It wasn't when Abraham arrived at a given location that the lesson of his life was learned. Perhaps that is why God did not tell him the name of his destination, lest he be tempted to believe that his journey was complete upon arrival. We tend to like to know when we are going to get where we are going. I like that myself. I remember asking my parents that question incessantly as a child traveling to my grandparents, "are we there yet?" But the problem with such perspectives is that it denies us the opportunity to recognize what God is doing in our midst along the way. We can be so desperate to arrive that the thought itself becomes all-consuming. And, in the midst of the anxiety and fretting about the logistics, we can miss some of the greatest moments in our relationship with Him…and we can often make some of our biggest blunders!
ULTIMATE TRUST
As a church, we have been on a journey for some 173 years, and I'm proud to tell you that we have not arrived yet. What?? Does that mean I wish we could go on struggling with various needs and difficulties that come our way indefinitely? Absolutely not! But I would not forsake the opportunity to know that God is guiding us in the path of His choosing. And, even as others who have gone before us have discovered, quite often it is in the midst of the journey that we learn some of the most significant lessons of life. We are being called to trust—not me as your pastor, or the staff that serves this church, or the deacons who minister among you—but God Himself. It is He Who began this journey nearly two centuries ago for this church and it will be He Himself Who completes it. So, before we start fretting so much about whether or not we have accomplished what we want or have arrived at the place we desire, may we each seek the heart of God and ask Him what it is that He wants to teach us where we are today. We are certain of this—we will never pass this way again. Wouldn't it be tragic to miss some of the greatest blessings and truths God may have for us by longing to be where we are not? And yet, at the same time, isn't it comforting to know that if God is driving this church, that He will most certainly get us to our destination?!? He always has. Never lose sight of that.
Blessings!
Pastor Tom
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