Questions
By Peggy Kleckner
“Now the angel of
the LORD found her…..And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come
from and where are you going?”
Genesis 16:7-8
I
am drawn to the Old Testament story of Hagar running away to escape conflict.
It is so wonderful to read the words “found her” in this passage. How often
have I, like Hagar, run from my difficulties? Oh, how I longed to be “found.”
For years, I ran from my emotions, refusing to feel the painful ones, to
acknowledge their existence or to give them voice. I ran from them by stuffing
them down with food. I was afraid that they would overcome me, and so I
ran.
How
like God to come looking for us. He called out in the first garden for Adam and
Eve to answer. He called out to Hagar in this passage, and He calls out to each
of us. He calls out to us to admit where we are, and to admit that we don’t
really know where we are going.
God
stopped Hagar with a question. It is as if He was asking her to look in both
directions, back to see where she came from and forward to see if she knows the
way. Sometimes, we have to stop long enough to admit where we are.
In
Celebrate Recovery, as in other twelve-step groups, if we recognize and speak
the truth, our answer is our first step. “We admit that we are powerless over
our dependencies and that our lives have become unmanageable.” This is not an
easy step; it is more like a huge hurdle. It is admitting weakness in a society
that honors and applauds strength. It is saying, “I can’t do it” in a culture that
screams, “Just try harder” or “Try again.” The gospel of Christ is first a call
to admit we need a Savior and then a surrender to His loving care. It is in
surrender that we find our greatest victory.
Hagar
thought she was running from her pain, but I am sure she never imagined that
she would be “found” by the One who loved her best and most. It seems her pain
finally sent her running into grace. If you read the rest of the story, when
she was found, she could choose to surrender and submit to God’s authority in
her life, or she could choose to keep running. The choice remained hers…so too
with us.
We
can remain a “victim” of our circumstances, keep running…or actively choose to
surrender to the One and only true Savior, Jesus Christ, and accept His embrace
of grace.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What pain are you running from?
2. Are you
willing to stop and answer God’s questions?
FURTHER READING:
Peggy is a wife and
mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active
encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield. She serves as the Coordinator of
Fresh Start.
