Five days ago, my first book HOPE (Amidst the Stories I Told Myself) became available to the world. Not only have we already ordered our first set of books for a year at Duke Medical Center, but we are now in search of other hospitals and organizations to partner with. It is incredibly exciting and humbling to see this dream become a reality.
If everything comes easy to you, go ahead and skip reading this week’s post. But if you too struggle even after a blessing, keep reading.
Dancing. Rejoicing. Singing. I feel all of these things, but I also see the giant “to do” list of all the things to do next. I see all the potential and I feel the weight of it all on my shoulders. The problem with me is because I can’t take the moment to trust, I get overwhelmed.
Let me give you an example, I took the time last week to take what was just going to be a simple PDF of discussion questions into an e-book Study with detailed questions, pictures, and formatting. I wrote out three scripts for three different video series I would do. Simple. Except, I have people in my house, ALL THE TIME. Three different times this week, I put on real clothes and make-up in hopes I would be able to fit it in. Nope. Today, I kicked them all out for a small window of time to tape just the first one. As I began to edit, I became overwhelmed and frustrated. I am a one on the enneagram and am pretty sure this is not something I should be allowed to do. What happened next will surprise you. I texted my friend because I wanted to quit. I acted a lot like the Israelites.
When the Red Sea parts but the desert is on the other side, it just seems unfair.
Stay with me for a minute. In Exodus, we find Moses who was born a Hebrew and raised by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter who found him floating in a basket in a river (read Mom Guilt). He killed an Egyptian man after witnessing the man beat in Israelite slave and became a fugitive on the run. He then rescues some women at a well (read Unplanned) which leads to his marriage and tending his father-in-laws sheep when God calls him to rescue the Israelites from slavery. With the help of God and some crazy plagues, Pharaoh lets them go.
But God wasn’t done yet. In Exodus 14 he says,
4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.
Here I become much like an Israelite and I think you will agree you do too.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
Oh man. Do you feel it too? Have you ever said, “God, why would you bring me out of this only for this other thing to happen?”
And then we find ourselves in the middle of a miracle. Smack dab in the most epic part of the movie, the Israelites witness Moses raising his hand to split the Red Sea. They don’t just see the miracle with their eyes. They can feel the winds shift and hear the raging sea on both sides of them, as they walk across dry ground to the other side. The enemy is right behind them, close enough that they feel the dread of being caught. Then Moses raises his hand again and all their enemies disappear before their eyes as they are swallowed by the sea. (Paraphrased Exodus 14: 15-31)
Disbelief and heart stopping. A miracle that couldn’t be replayed even if they tried. A moment that would be told to generations of the time God showed up. They began to celebrate with song and dance, for they were favored.
When I find favor, I want the dessert too! Celebration and everything to go easy. The Israelites are no different than you and me, they wanted to know where is the dessert?
Instead they found the desert.
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.]) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (Exodus 15:22-24)
It wasn’t just the water that was bitter, so were the Israelites.
Have you ever struggled in the desert after finding favor?
Amazing how fast we forget God’s favor when a new struggle arises! Three days of struggle and they had already forgotten the reason for their songs and dance.
How many days does it take for you? Today, for me, it only took one to forget His favor. It took just a few hours of struggling to find myself wanting to throw in the towel.
But God…reminded me to cry out.
25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.
Once God reveals to you the wood, you just have to throw it into the water.
Without obedience it’s just a piece of wood.
What wood has He revealed to you? Will you take the next step in obedience?
