Day 5: Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”
Just for fun, I like to read spy novels. Lately I’ve been reading a series of novels by Gregg Hurwitz – the “Orphan X” series. The main character is a guy who was an orphan, and was taken from his foster home and trained to be a government operative in a strictly-off-the-books program. (Think Jason Bourne)
Orphan X has a list of “commandments” that his mentor gave him in training. In the book I just finished, Orphan X adds a new commandment to those his mentor had given him. This new commandment has caused me to ponder a lot of things in my life. It goes like this: “Don’t fall in love with Plan A.”
Why have I spent time pondering this “commandment” in my own life? Because I found myself thinking one day, “This isn’t what I had in mind.” I don’t remember what it was in particular – what plan that I had that went off rail. You could pretty much take your pick from the last, say, 11 MONTHS! Due to the pandemic, almost none of 2020 fit into what I would have called my Plan A. The last year has been a lot of waiting, waiting, waiting!
Abram knew about waiting. He had been promised that God would make him into a “great nation,” when Abram was 75 years old, and Sarai was 65. And Abram and his family set out for toward Lord-only-knew where…by faith. After a series of events (some fortunate, some just weird), God came to Abram in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” (Gen. 15: 2)
I can imagine Abram getting a little impatient. “I hear you, God, but this isn’t what I had in mind! I’m 75, and Sarai’s biological clock is tick, tick, ticking, and at this rate my servant Eliezer is going to be my heir. How could you possibly bless me and make me great without giving me a son? ASAP!” And I can imagine God telling Abram, “Eliezer is not going to be your heir…your own son will be. But Abram, your Plan A is not my Plan A. Wait on me.” “OK, God…I guess I can wait a little while longer…” And 25 years later, Isaac is born.
What could God possibly give Abram in place of Abram’s Plan A? God’s own plan…in God’s own time.
Reflection: Are you in love with your own Plan A? Do you become impatient when God doesn’t do things as quickly as you want?
Action: When you find yourself impatient, stop and pray the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Father, not what I want but what you want.”
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”
- Merriam Webster
Just for fun, I like to read spy novels. Lately I’ve been reading a series of novels by Gregg Hurwitz – the “Orphan X” series. The main character is a guy who was an orphan, and was taken from his foster home and trained to be a government operative in a strictly-off-the-books program. (Think Jason Bourne)
Orphan X has a list of “commandments” that his mentor gave him in training. In the book I just finished, Orphan X adds a new commandment to those his mentor had given him. This new commandment has caused me to ponder a lot of things in my life. It goes like this: “Don’t fall in love with Plan A.”
Why have I spent time pondering this “commandment” in my own life? Because I found myself thinking one day, “This isn’t what I had in mind.” I don’t remember what it was in particular – what plan that I had that went off rail. You could pretty much take your pick from the last, say, 11 MONTHS! Due to the pandemic, almost none of 2020 fit into what I would have called my Plan A. The last year has been a lot of waiting, waiting, waiting!
Abram knew about waiting. He had been promised that God would make him into a “great nation,” when Abram was 75 years old, and Sarai was 65. And Abram and his family set out for toward Lord-only-knew where…by faith. After a series of events (some fortunate, some just weird), God came to Abram in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” (Gen. 15: 2)
I can imagine Abram getting a little impatient. “I hear you, God, but this isn’t what I had in mind! I’m 75, and Sarai’s biological clock is tick, tick, ticking, and at this rate my servant Eliezer is going to be my heir. How could you possibly bless me and make me great without giving me a son? ASAP!” And I can imagine God telling Abram, “Eliezer is not going to be your heir…your own son will be. But Abram, your Plan A is not my Plan A. Wait on me.” “OK, God…I guess I can wait a little while longer…” And 25 years later, Isaac is born.
What could God possibly give Abram in place of Abram’s Plan A? God’s own plan…in God’s own time.
Reflection: Are you in love with your own Plan A? Do you become impatient when God doesn’t do things as quickly as you want?
Action: When you find yourself impatient, stop and pray the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Father, not what I want but what you want.”
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Lenten DevotionalsWeird is the New Normal: Day OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in GenesisWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in GenesisWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in GenesisDay 5: Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in GenesisWeird is the New Normal: Day SixWeird is the New Normal: Day SevenWeird is the New Normal: Day EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis Day NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis: Day TenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day ElevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day Twelve
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Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day 13Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day FourteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis-Day FifteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day 16Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day SeventeenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day EighteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day NineteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day TwentyWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis-Twenty-FourWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-FiveWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-SixWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Twenty-SevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Twenty-NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day ThirtyWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty-ThreeWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty-FourWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-FiveWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-SixWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-SevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Forty
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