As i write this, there is a brave young woman traveling halfway around the globe to a place she has never been before. She bid farewell to her family and friends, and to the only home she has ever known, in order to build a new home in a foreign place. It’s not a short term trip. It’s not for just a few years. It’s for the rest of her life… as Jesus tarries. She is making the journey because she knows that God would have her do so. i confess that i admire her courage and her faith. She truly has embarked on a Genesis 12 journey – a journey to an unknown place.
i saw a picture this morning that was taken of her with her family just before she boarded the plane to begin her journey. Their beautiful faces told a story of love, excitement, hope, joy… and sadness. There’s that joy over doing what you know God has called you to do…and excitement over where the journey will lead… but there is also sadness as you say farewell to those who are near and dear. That’s as true for the loved ones who remain at home as it is for the one who is making the journey.
Those of you who know me would expect that i am talking about a young woman who has left the US in response to God’s call to go to another part of the world. But this young woman is in fact coming to the US from another part of the world in pursuit of all that God has placed before her here. She will only know a handful of people here when she first arrives.
Many of us have made a move from one city to another, or from one part of the country to another. Quite a few of us have made the journey from one country to another for a matter of weeks – and some for a few years. But fewer of us have made such a journey for the rest of our lives.
This young woman is not the first person i have known who immigrated to this country. i am blessed to know many who have made that journey by faith – and i am equally blessed as they recount the ways God led them to this place. But i have witnessed this particular journey more closely than most of the rest. You see, the one who will be meeting her plane when she arrives is my nephew… her fiancé.
Our family has witnessed this long distance relationship unfold over the years. We have prayed for them as they sought God’s will and direction. We have prayed with them as they walked through the lengthy process that finally enabled this journey to become a reality. We have watched as God answered all of those prayers, and we rejoice with them that this day has finally arrived.
But it is another reminder to all of us of the journey that God often calls us to take with Him. As He said to Abraham, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1 ESV). Abraham and Sarai had no idea what they would encounter along the way. They didn’t know their journey would include a season of famine (12:10), unplanned twists and turns (12:10), as well as unexpected consequences for other members of their family (14:11-12). All they knew was they were walking in obedience to God’s direction, and journeying by faith in His promise (12:2-3).
We know how that story ended. It led to the birth of a son (Isaac) through whom a nation was birthed (Israel) through whom ultimately our Savior was born (Jesus!) You and i are beneficiaries of the blessings of their journey. The road of our redemption was paved by their willingness to step out into the unknown.
All because of a readiness to go when God said go – a courage to follow Him through the unknown – and a willingness to trust Him for the outcome. Such a journey is not measured in miles; it’s measured by how far we step out of our comfort zone. It’s the distance between the known and the unknown. Most often, it’s the difference between staying where we are in our familiar surroundings and stepping out into the unfamiliar.
For some of us, it will involve reaching out to someone across the street. Perhaps it will involve reaching out to someone who has come from the other side of the world. For others, it will mean journeying to the other side of the world. Regardless, it will be a journey that will require courage. It will require a readiness, a willingness and faith to step out of our comfort zone. But don’t forget – the same God who called us to go – will go with us – every step of the way. Trust Him in the journey to the unknown.
And, oh – by the way – welcome home Danik!
Copyright © 2020 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.