I Want It Now
This is my first blog post. I have been wanting to do something like this for a while, but I made up a ton of reasons why this was not the right time or that I was simply not qualified to produce something that would make me proud. Then I started to think that I have to start somewhere so why not here.
That being said, allow me to get into the topic at hand.
I recently graduated from Life Pacific with my Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. I am extremely proud of this achievement. While I was in high school, all I wanted to be was a pastor and I wanted to get there the quickest way possible. Within my faith tradition, ministers do not have to have any formal higher education, so I had plans to do a few internships and then get a job at a church. Although this was my plan, God had others and I am so glad I did. Even though I was resistant, I got my bachelor’s, and this was the best choice I have ever made. I realized that I love education so much that I was crazy enough to enroll at Duke Divinity School for my M.Div this fall.
Dispite all of this, but I have a voice in the back of my head that I need to get my life started. I l look around me to see many of my friends getting jobs in their field right after their undergraduate. Although this could have been me, I know this is not the path for my life. I recognize the extraordinary dreams that I have but in order for me to carry out these dreams, further education is a requirement and one that I would rather do earlier than later. My main issue is I want things to happen faster than they are, but to my dismay life rarely works that way.
As I reflect on the biblical narrative, I am starting to notice that things rarely happen in people’s timeframe. This point is made clear in the lives of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. These two characters were used powerfully by God but their “biblical contribution” for lack of a better term did not come in until later on in their life. We look at each of them for what they have done but for this blog post, I would like to analyze each of their formation process leading up to their achievement.
Abram, otherwise known as Abraham, is the son of Terah (Gen 11:27). At the beginning of his life, he took Abram from the land of Ur into the land of Canaan (11:31). It is here where Abram lived with his father until God gave him other plans. At the age of 75, God gives Abraham a promise that he will make Abraham into a great nation (Gen 12:2 cf 4). Before this promise is given, the information given related to Abraham is relatively sparse. All we are his father and his homeland, that is it.
There is a bit more information relating to the early life of Moses and the Israelite’s exile from Egypt. Whereas Abraham’s narrative only takes up a portion of Genesis, Moses is involved with the whole rest of the Pentateuch. Like Abraham’s journey, Moses starts at his birth but with him, we get a little bit more details. Moses was born to a Hebrew woman who gave him up to live in the house of Pharaoh due to the persecution of the Hebrew people (Ex 2:1-10). As he grew up, he began to see what was happening to the Hebrews and eventually kills an Egyptians that was beating one of the Hebrews (Ex 2:11). To avoid his own death from Pharaoh, Moses went to the land of Midian (Ex 2:11) where he took a wife and bore a child (Ex 2:21-22). During this time Moses was the keeper of his father-in-law’s flock in the land of Midian. It is not until God appears to Moses in the burning bush that he receives the call to lead the Hebrew people out of the land of Egypt (Ex 3:10). By that time, Moses was relatively advanced in years, but this is when his public “ministry” starts, although the Old Testament does not describe it in those terms.
Even Jesus was not immune to this length of preparation that is seen with Abraham and Moses. We do not have an abundance of information about his early years but even with what we do have it is apparent that he was something special. From his birth, an angel prophesied that he “will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). Even at a young age, his teaching amazed all who had heard him (Lk 2:46-47). Despite his giftedness and anointing, Jesus did not start his ministry until his baptism at the age of 30.
All three characters were used mightily by God but had a waiting period in their life. In the case of Abraham and Moses, I do not think that they even were in this waiting period. They were simply living their life the best they could when God intervened. This intervention entirely changed the course of their life as well as the course of religious history. With Jesus, I would like to think he could start his ministry whenever he wanted and yet even, he waited until the time was right. The details of all three of their waiting periods are relatively sparse but I would like to think that this time prepared them for the instrumental change they would eventually have.
Today I want to encourage you that your waiting period is your time of preparation, even if you may not know the end goal. For many of us, this waiting period is longer than expected. This is especially true within this global pandemic that we are now facing. Many people have lost their jobs or at the very least have given up the plans for this year that they once had. No matter where you may find yourself, be encouraged that there is something great coming up. It may seem far away right now, but it will come closer than you know. You are not alone and I am right there with you. As you can see in scripture, there are generations before you with the same type of experience.