Starting over-- again

In the last post, I spoke of a lost dream. I was in too much pain to go into detail at that time.


The dream was of finishing my training program on time so I could begin a new career to help contribute to our family finances.  Now I've been forced to withdraw for a year due to health problems which can't be resolved while I'm in the midst of a highly demanding academic schedule. I'm forced to rest, think, and trust that God will provide for us in the midst of this storm. What a concept.


Over the past several days, I've been doing the mental rehash: where do I turn now? I'm back at the beginning. Eventually that thought led me to the grand-daddy of beginnings: Genesis. So I'm starting there and working my way through the Bible. Again. Why not?  I can always change course--again, if necessary. Genesis is great for fresh starts.


Providentially, I'd already been reading about Noah. You can see that post, if you look back a few. Talk about having to start from zero!  He literally got onboard with God's plans--and saved his family by doing so, but then had to learn how to live in a completely different world afterward.


Then came the call of Abram to change his life. He'd been living comfortably with his father (Genesis 11),  when God called him to leave everything familiar: country, people, father's household, and go to a land God would show him (12:1). I'll be exploring this more in upcoming posts. [I've written about Abraham and Sarah in the past--when he was passing her off as his sister--so I won't talk about that topic now.]


God is calling me to make changes in my life now. The way it all unfolded was terribly painful, and I'd like to run screaming for the door, but I've learned over a lifetime that his love will carry me through.

Is he calling you to something? Perhaps you should consider the thought.


What do I know for sure?  The God who spoke the universe into being is directing my life. I can trust him to manage the details. You can, too.


The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.

Genesis 12:1-4