Sarah

I'm taking an awesome 90 day development course.  For this course, I was asked to choose a woman from the Bible to write about.  In a first person experience.

I immediately thought of my namesake, Sarah.  I've been studying her for years now.  Researching and learning about her, and quite frankly, relating to her in a lot of ways.  My life has followed a similar path, moving from place to place (sometimes not really sure why, except for that gut feeling that God has asked me to do so), searching for who knows what on my journey while living my "barren" life...

...and then God shows up.

And what does He tell me? Metaphorically speaking, He says "I want you to have a baby." And I, being named Sarah, do none other than laugh. "Say what??" Then I give Him the I'm too old and inexperienced schpeel, about how I am barren and how that promise is just way too big.  He then proceeds to convict my disbelief, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"  I try to cover my tush quickly by making something up...something along the lines of "I didn't really just hear that, did I? I'm making things up."

As I make my way through half-faith and some kind of denial, it starts to happen.  Whether you believe in the gift of prophecy makes no difference here.  You'll drop any skepticism and start listening when over the period of four years, every church service you attend with anyone that has that gift (who knows you or doesn't know you), comes up to you...sometimes running, telling you "You're supposed to have a baby. You're pregnant with something."

So, then, you really start to believe God talked to you.  And you also start to believe that nothing is too difficult for Him.

But it's a journey.

The past couple days, I've been thinking a lot.  I had already written my Sarah story for my course.  But then, I started to contemplate a bit deeper.  The Bible says that God spoke the word, and Sarah became pregnant.  Then, it talks about how she had Isaac, and she laughed...the second time out of joy for what God had done.  Promise fulfilled.

But, you don't hear anything about her journey in between.

I would assume if you're about to have a child that is the confirmation of a covenant between you and God, that will, in return, make you the Mother of many Nations, that there would be some challenges.  My guess is to turn the laugh from fear to joy took a little time and some proverbial setbacks.

You know what I'm talkin' about.  God asks you to do something or tells you who you are...and then all Hell breaks loose with the opposite. Pun intended.  It's an uphill climb.

Each step comes with it's own devils; it's own myriad of lies and confusion, disbelief and self-pity.  You wonder what the heck you're doing, this hurts too much, I'm not qualified.  God really didn't say that.

But your heart pulses and you hear "I did say that."

And, so, on you go...

To new depths and new heights.  Conquering some this day, and losing some on other days.  It's real.  It's life.

And somewhere in your old quest you put down "ruling the world" and instead, you start living The Love Story (as Jon Schmidt so beautifully portrays this in his song).

And so is the journey.


Life.



Part II coming soon...

(If you have the time, listen to the song all the way through.  Jon talks about his motivation for the song.  What a picture.)

(corresponding song: Love Story meets Viva la Vida by Jon Schmidt)