Not too long ago a friend of mine asked if she and I could find a Bible study on love and work through it together. After a little research I found a study I thought would be appropriate. It requires some homework, but not much, and of course we both like that. While completing one of the segments this week I had an 'aha' moment. Not sure how you guys feel about those, but I find them quite refreshing.
The passage was in Genesis where God tells Abraham to take Isaac up the mountain and sacrifice him. And Abraham does just what every parent would do. He gets the wood ready, packs everything up, rounds up Isaac and a few servants, and heads for the mountain. He doesn't ask any questions. He doesn't argue with God. He just goes. Can you believe that??? (okay, just in case you haven't caught onto the sarcasm, I don't know any parents who would do that)
Do you think Isaac might have been a little nervous? I mean, he asks his Dad where's the lamb? And Abraham tells him God will provide one. But then, when your Dad puts the wood on the altar and ties you up and puts you on top of the wood, well, I don't know about you, but I'd be not so impressed. And somehow, I'm thinking Isaac isn't too much different than us. Wow.
And then, just in the nick of time, God intervenes. Whew! We were getting worried there weren't we? And we learn that God was testing Abraham. And God tells Abraham, "I just wanted to see if you would withhold your son, your only son from Me." Yes, there all kinds of lessons in this passage. But what struck me is the fact that God walked Abraham through each step to see if he was willing to give Him Isaac, and then wham, never mind, I just wanted to see what you would do.
Everyone remembers 9/11/2001, where you were, how you felt, what you feared, etc. Nathan and Jeanna were going to school at Texas Tech. They were very involved in the Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) and actually had a Bible study that night. (Tuesday night - regular Bible study night) While they were there, one of their friends who was a semester missionary in New York City called. She was safe, but she was telling all of them how great the need was. That night after her call, a group of college students decided they needed to pack up and head to NYC to help in any way they could.
Later that night, we get a phone call. Yep, you guessed it, they were part of the group. The plan was still in its early stages, so Mike and I slept fine that night, which was good, because the morning would bring a totally different kind of day. The calls started early the next morning. I had barely made it to work when they started calling. I spent most of the day in the back part of our office on my knees, draped over a chair, with the phone at my ear. They would call with this plan, and with that plan, and this idea, and that idea. There were classes to withdraw from, leases to be broken, money to be gathered, and the list went on and on and on.
We immediately sent out an SOS for prayer. I was on the phone with Brian Swiggart, our youth pastor at the time, almost as much as I was with Nathan, Jeanna, or Michael. Mike and I met for lunch to discuss the logistics of how we would get a group of college students and their stuff to NYC. They couldn't fly, we would have to drive them. We contacted Terry, Mike's brother, for prayer support and wise counsel. He was very gracious and offered to work on funds if the decision was to go. I left work early that day and drove over to Mom and Dad's to get some encouragement from them. It was insane.
When it came down to it, the decision was made not to go. Too many were dropping out due to parental pressure, and because of the way the group was organized it would be too difficult if it wasn't a team effort. Jeanna called me at 4:30 pm to tell me they weren't going. I know I cried, but I couldn't tell you why. It was an emotional day.
When we moved to OKC I had the opportunity to speak with one of the other students about this whole ordeal. It's been a topic of conversation in our household from time to time. What in the world was that about? Ryan told me how disappointed he had been that his parents hadn't supported the plan. After graduation he had moved to Seattle and ran into someone who had gone for ministry purposes. He shared that the regret of not going was more intense after that. Bummer.
But you know what? I don't think it was about the students as much as I think it was about the parents. I think there are seven sets of parents that were tested that day. I've almost come to the conclusion that regardless the trip would have never occurred. And when I was reading the story of Abraham and Isaac this week it was as though a huge bell went off indicating that sometimes it's all about the test. You could call it the test of faith. Whoa! Really God? All of that was just a test? And I was reminded of other times we have been put through the steps.
Mike and I passed that particular test, but trust me, there have been others that we flunked big time. How about you? Do you hold on to things and people so tightly that God would have to chisel them away? Would you allow that circumstance to cause bitterness and anger towards God? Is it such a fearful thing to trust a mighty God? Some days, the answer would have to be a resounding YES.
But maybe, just maybe, He can say to us, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son . . .from Me."
