I was reading through Genesis this morning. Amidst the genealogies, I noticed the stories – the stories of a few men and the way they responded to God’s desire for relationship. The first stories we read are of men God sends on a journey and in the journey we read a story.
God sends Adam out from the garden, Noah out from dry land, Abraham out from Ur, and Isaac out from Beer Lahai Roi. It’s remarkable how, to give people stories, God sends them on a journey. On a journey the story acquires new settings, characters and plot twists.
When I graduated from college, God sent Karen and I out from Chicago to the largest Muslim country in the world. We learned to speak Indonesian and we woke up to the early morning call to prayer of the local Imam. Our story took on texture.
God is forever sending us out of our comfort zones and into a place of greater dependence as he writes the story of our lives. We can stick in the weeds and miss the plot, miss the entire idea that God is a story writer and our lives are stories.
It helps to ask a few questions like: “What is the story of my life so far? What comfort zones has God called me out of? Have I heard his call? How have I responded?”
As he writes the story of your life, don’t be surprised if he sends you on a journey. It’s what he’s been doing since the beginning.
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Seth Barnes
I'm motivated to join God in his global reclamation project. He's on the move, setting his sons and daughters free from their places of captivity. And he's partnering with those of us who have been freed to go and free others.
Seth, yet again, your post lines up with what I have been sensing in my own life these past few months. I am asking the tough questions now and took this weekend to just stop everything to listen for God’s voice. I have come to the place of resolve knowing that God is calling me out of my familiar again. I have been here before in my earlier days and can look back and see how the Lord unfolded the way step by step after I made the initial move to jump into the unknown. I am much older now so the fears of stepping out into the unknown are greater. But, as you mentioned, it is really remarkable the stories, the experiences, the lives we touch and those that touch ours as we venture out and allow the Lord to write a new chapter in our lives.
And that journey is a grand adventure; sure sometimes we feel like we are in free fall, but like a great roller coaster ride, the upswing always comes too.
Abandoning my storyline for His.
I like what you said about your story gaining “texture”. I really like that…
Donald Miller wrote a book on this subject recently- “a million miles in a thousand years” if you haven’t read it, i highly recommend it (quick, easy read)
p.s. I love how concise and digestible your blogs are.. inspiring for my own 🙂
Happy Wed Seth..
Hey Seth…I’m thankful that my story has intersected with yours and Karen’s for about 30 years.
Love you.
So encouraging and true, reminds me of a Donald miller book. (;
This is good. You have a great texture about you. Love that word.
Greetings from Borneo (Malaysia part). Me and the Jon H. are having a little go out here for the weekend. Thanks for the inspiration and the vintage photo op. Many blessings to you good friend.
This is so great. I never would have expected His journey for my life to look so crazy, but I’m hooked. God’s plot twists and story archs are so much greater than I would have ever aspired for myself. Thanks so much for reminding us about this, Seth 🙂
I can not explain the comfort and joy your posts bring.
They speak of peace and simplicity of heart.
I suspect because of the peace and humility of the man who writes them.
Blessings and Shalom, Seth.
Judith