My Abraham Moment

I'm a parent. I'm a Christian. I'm not Abraham. Yet it seems to me that God is asking me to lay my Isaac on the altar. The thought of it is exquisitely painful. And if I didn't already know the end of the story, I don't think I'd even be able to consider it. As a mother, I would walk though fire to protect each one of my children.


With Abraham I can say "God will provide the lamb." By faith Abraham was obedient to offer his Isaac and God did provide the lamb. By faith, I need to offer up my own Isaac, even while I expectantly seek the ram in the bushes.


But I'm not Abraham and perhaps the end of my story is not the same as the end of Abraham's story. God may yet require a fiery sacrifice, not the literal sacrificial fire of Abraham's day but a trial by fire. I know how Abraham's story ends and I trust that is how my story will end---it's just the part right before the ending that I'm unsure about.



Dutifully, yet a bit hesitantly, I purpose to release my Isaac in blind obedience and full faith. And obedience and faith are what God desires of me. God is God, whether a lamb is provided or not. My Isaac was His long before he was mine. And God loves him even more than I do.

Here I have built my altar--here I have placed my Isaac. I release my child...to a fiery trial or to the gracious appearance of the Lamb of God. This is my Abraham moment.

Bacon Factions

Bacon---people in my family have very strong feelings about it.





We have the "Everything Tastes Better With Bacon" faction, the "Bacon is Only For Breakfast" faction and the "Bacon Isn't Even Really Meat" faction.

There is one who thinks bacon wrapped meat is perfectly appropriate while another thinks bacon bits on Caesar Salad is a bit over the top.

And there is the one who considered adopting a vegetarian lifestyle until she realized that would mean no more BLT sandwiches, which is practically un-american. And this particular child is extremely patriotic.

One of my favorite things to do with bacon is to wrap it around bundles of fresh green beans, drizzle with olive oil and bake...which is indisputable evidence as to the faction I hold to.

Good Grief.

I wonder how many times I have thoughtlessly uttered that phrase without thinking about what it means...now I am thinking about it...isn't grief always bad? Is it ever good?

It's good grief if you are drawn closer to the loved ones that remain. It's bad grief if you find yourself withdrawing from them.

It's good grief if you can do the things that are needful, even when it is painful. It's bad grief if there seems to be no reason to go on.

It's good grief when you can gratefully (and maybe a bit fiercely) hug your children. It's bad grief when you get too easily upset and impatient with them.

It's good grief when the sight of a friend with a grandpa, new baby or sibling brings tears to your eyes and a lump to your throat. It's bad grief when that same sight brings envy and thoughts of "that should be me."

It's good grief when loneliness for your loved one brings not only tears but gratitude for the time you had. It's bad grief when missing that one brings bitter tears and questions of why your time together was so limited.

It's good grief if you are a bit more introspective and quieter than usual. It's bad grief if you cut yourself off from communicating with the ones who love you.

It's good grief when it serves to bring you closer to God. It's bad grief when you begin blaming Him.

There will be seasons of grief in this life...praying for the grace to choose good grief.