My So-Called Life

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Aliens and strangers

"8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later
receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. "
~Hebrews 11:8-16


Okay, so I just happened, by accident to have lunch with the accountant at the YWCA today, and she had a lot of questions about Mission Year. I had to admit that I, as of this moment, only know that I am moving to the city of Oakland, California. I do not know where in the city I will be living, who I will be living with, what kind of church I will be paired with, what I need to bring with me, etc. And I am leaving in two-and-a-half weeks. I feel a lot like Abraham, called to go to a place where I will receive my inheritance, but not knowing where, exactly, that is.

But, nevertheless, I have faith. Faith in the God who brought me this far, who hasn't let me down yet (and let's face it, if I were God, I would've gotten tired of all my whining a long time ago).

This does not mean that I am not sometimes--many times--fearful or anxious. I don't handle uncertainty well, as a general rule. If you want to hear more about my anxieties, I'll be happy to tell you. But I just keep trying to remember that there's no way to walk on the water unless you get out of the boat.

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