Melons

So, in about a month I'll be moving back to Iowa where I'll be going back on staff with IV. If you would have said I would be doing this a year ago, I would have told you that you were a liar. But I am, I'm going. When they first offered me the choice of going to KC or to Iowa for IV, I was upset (to put it mildly). God, didn't I already make the decision not to be in Iowa? But then I thought about it and realized that God had worked through all the reasons I'd left and they weren't valid anymore. And it spoke so much of Him and the gospel to go back. So I decided I would go. And I was okay with that...for a while. While I still had peace I'd made the right decision, I began to struggle with leaving my community in St. Louis...

And I continued to struggle until this past week, when I traveled to spend time at the college and in the town I'll be working at. While I was there, God slowly softened my heart towards Cedar Rapids, and in the midst of it, he reminded me of melons.

The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for something like 400 years. They cried out to God to help them get out of slavery, and he delivered. Not only did he deliver, but he did it in style, doing miraculous signs and wonders like the world had never seen. He marches them right out of Egypt, their pockets full of treasure the Egyptians just handed over as they walked, unhindered out of Egypt. And he promised them He would lead them to a land flowing with milk & honey, where he would provide in abundance everything they need and bless them so that they would bless other people. And, in the climax of the story, he leads to a place where they seem to be trapped between the Egyptian army & a body of water, only for God, in dramatic fashion, to part the body of water so they could walk through to the other side in enough time to drown the Egyptian army.

After all that, the Israelites start their journey to the Promised Land. And it wasn't long before they started complaining...At one point in their journey, they go so far as to imply they'd rather go back to Egypt than go through the journey. And why, do you ask, do they want to go back to Egypt?

melons.

Look it up. Numbers 11:5. The Isrealites had been in slavery in Egypt, and now they wanted to go back because of...melons? They were ready to return back to slavery because it's what they knew. They had lost sight of God's promise for something so much better! Freedom & blessing if only they would believe His promise & be obedient to follow & listen to Him.

My struggle with leaving St. Louis was in part about melons. God has promised something more...more of him, more ability to bless other people, blessing from following him obediently...if only I'll turn my eyes toward what's ahead.

God, bring to mind melons every time I get scared & unsure of the journey. Remind me of what's ahead and give me courage to turn my eyes toward you and that promise. In Jesus' name, amen.