The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” – Genesis 12:1
My dream was always to use my gifts and put them at the service of the Lord in a place where I could develop them to the fullest. I remember my father giving advice to my brothers and to me from an early age to make it a priority in our life to serve the Lord. I also remember that he used those famous words of our Lord Jesus that say: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.” With this example many times my parents taught us to give everything to serve in the kingdom, and as far as I remember, we never missed food or clothing. Always the Lord’s provision came into our life in one way or another.
God has called us to come to Singing Oaks and serve Him. This makes me think about how Abraham felt when God tells him to leave his country; this meant that he had to leave his relatives and his parents who perhaps still lived. Thinking about that as a husband, I can also consider Sara, because she also left her relatives. In short, it was a drastic and strong change that affected this small family. But we already know how all this ends. The Lord blessed Abraham greatly and made him the father of a great nation. Because he obeyed the call and believed in the promises of God in spite of the obstacles, he knew how to maintain his faith. Did he take a chance? Of course! But he achieved a huge blessing that he could never have obtained if he stayed in his comfort zone.
This year there has been a big change in our family. Moving to Denton will be a story that we will surely tell our grandchildren, and as Abraham we come to a land we do not know, in which we have nothing, (looking for an apartment has been a challenge) leaving our relatives behind, but without a doubt we can say that the Lord has been with us every second during this transition and will surely be with us throughout this whole process.
Maybe at some point the Lord has called you. Maybe today God is calling you to serve him. We see in the Bible many examples of people who answered the call and were blessed in a great way. We see others who decided not to obey and did not reach what God had for them. We know that our Father will never force us to do anything; he will always give us the freedom to choose. That is why it all depends on us – will we answer the call and trust in the promises of God, even with the risks and challenges that this decision brings, in addition to the endless blessings that come with that, or will we continue to stay in our comfort zone without much change, no room to grow, or without the blessings from the one who has promised to be with us every day until the end of the world?
Jesus answered, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left a house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30 who shall not receive a hundred times as much now in this age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecution, and in the age to come, eternal life. – Mark 10:29-30
Are you willing to come out of your comfort zone for the Lord?
