In this, the second of this brief, two-part look at moving on from deep pain & hurt, I want to consider the difficulty of re-entering ‘normal’ life.
Even after the huge decision and difficult action to ‘turn northward’ (read Part 1 first if you’re confused) as our God begins leading us on out of our ‘Egypt’ and our ‘wilderness’, we can find ourselves left standing there saying,
“what now?”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“How do I take the first steps back into ‘the land of the living?’
Moses, in recounting this story to the Israelites and after the command to turn northward, states this detail:
“You shall buy food from them with money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.”
Deuteronomy 2:3, 6
I relate this to my own experience as saying,
“Nourish yourself”
and
“Do basic normal things”
Sound simple? Not to someone recovering from a major life upheaval it isn’t.
Even the thought of going out in public can be excessively daunting.
The everyday questions people ask without thinking twice that for you have the most complicated or just awkward answers you don’t want give.
The thought of repeating the same answer over and over and we end up just giving a generic response to what should’ve been an almost rhetorical question, because we can’t deal with the real explanation to basic questions like,
“How are you?”
“How’s the wife/husband?”
“How’s church?”
We come back with the non-genuine, get-me-out-of-here response,
“Good”
And then excuse ourselves as being very busy, grab what we need, and get home to where it’s ‘safe’.
Home.
No questions.
No judgement.
No stares.
No awkward explanations.
Safe.
But no life.
I remember walking down the street soon after separating from my wife and noticing people we used to live next to.
I would cross the street and go into a shop if necessary to avoid any awkward questions.
And hey, you know what?
For a time that was how I coped.
And maybe you too.
But once God gives you the nudge that it’s time to ‘turn northward’, and He will, you’re gonna need to lay hold of some Holy Spirit gumption and start to ‘buy food so that you may eat and water so that you may drink’.
Or, in my terminology:
“Nourish yourself”
and
“Do basic normal things”
See, the Israelites had to learn how to re-enter some form of normal life as well… And I don’t think they remembered what that was either!
Remember this,
God does not forget His chosen people.
That includes you.
Don’t you hate it when people say,”God knows what you’re going through.”
Mainly because it’s usually spoken by well-meaning people with not much clue to the depth of the quagmire you’re wallowing in.
…I just wanted to use the word “quagmire” in a sentence…
Anyway…
But check this out, after telling the people to “do basic normal things”, Moses goes on to say:
““For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” ’”
Deuteronomy 2:7
Basically, “God knows what you’re going through.”
Urrggghh.
BUT, he qualifies the statement by adding,
“…These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”
Personal experience.
From his own life, and yours.
Take a minute now and try think back as far as you need to, to find reference in your life of God’s handy work.
Take a minute.
Just think.
Suggestion if you’re stuck…
Look in the mirror.
Infinite worth staring back at you in the form of the cross.
For God so loved you, that He gave…
And gave.
And keeps on giving.
Grace.
Beautiful grace.
Priceless.
Just like you.
You can’t be replaced.
Peace.
Powerful peace.
Breaking through the most turbulent storms to still the water long enough for you to walk on it.
Holding His hand.
He will lead you northward.
One miracle at a time.
Your first miracle has already happened.
You’ve heard the call to turn northward.
Your second miracle is waiting.
And it’s found when you,
“Nourish yourself”
and
“Do basic normal things”
I would encourage you to begin to read through Psalms as you have strength, you’ll find some very real statements.
“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.”
Psalm 71:20 NIV
Be blessed & be a blessing.
Graham
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