By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
-Hebrews 11:8
There are days I look in the mirror and see a woman standing in a heap of ashes. She’s barefoot, soot-soaked, and stunned to be occupying that space. As I stare deeply into the giant piece of glass I do a quick double take just to make sure my vision isn’t failing. I’m always shocked to be re-welcomed into my reality. I can hardly believe the woman is me.
I wake up every day without my mother, brother, and stepfather. I worry about the house I have to sell and the items waiting for me to sort through – years of memories collecting dust. And then I force myself to readjust my focus. I’m not just a woman standing in the middle of an ash heap of grief; I’m a woman searching through it determined to find grit. Slowly but surely I’m finding it in the form of tiny well-lit embers proving there’s beauty developing in that desolate place. There’s magnificent color lighting my way.
Oh, Abraham, how I wish I could have a good, long heart-to-heart with you!
In the above scripture it says Abraham obeyed even though he had no idea where he was going. God told him he would receive an inheritance, and so he went. I want to go, too. Sometimes I’m guilty of connecting words such as faith and obedience with other words like nomad and aimless. I picture myself walking without a plan or a map, but that could not be further from the truth. God is my map and He knows the plan. I want to be like Abraham. I might be clueless as to where I’m going, but I want to stand and go anyway. Though I will undoubtedly wade through ashes to get wherever it is I’m supposed to end up, I believe my inheritance will prove worthy of any price I had to pay along the way.
Today’s tip for finding Grit inside grief: Stop identifying yourself as an aimless wanderer. Put one foot in front of the other and walk. There will be hills to climb and cold valleys to tremble through, but when you trust in Jesus you’ll end up exactly where you need to be. Wherever the path leads, you’ll never be alone. God is with you.
Maybe we can all take some ownership in Abraham’s story. I want mine to read just like his:
By faith Jennifer obeyed when she was called to go out to the place which she would receive as an inheritance. And she went out, not knowing where she was going…
Yes and amen!
What do you think? Try filling in the blank with your own name and see where it empowers you to go.
By faith ________________ obeyed when she was called to go out to the place which she would receive as an inheritance. And she went out, not knowing where she was going.
Here’s to finding grit inside grief somewhere deep inside the unknown…
Love,
