Over a thousand people move to Florida every day. There are a lot of us thinking about adjusting to the weather, learning new roads, making new friends. A lot of us are thinking about starting over after a move.
When we move, we have to learn how to leave the familiar behind. Usually, we prefer to lead a settled life. Usually, we prefer to stay in our comfort zone. When we move, we reverse the usual. We move from the known to the unknown. We move from the safe and secure to the unpredictable. We find ourselves trading losses, which are obvious, for promises, which are vague. When we move we learn to leave the familiar behind.
When we move we have a chance to grow. Not only do we find ourselves in different circumstances, we can become different people. Maturity isn’t mandatory. We have the option of being the same person in a different location. We can, however, seize the opportunity to grow in our relationship with God, and to become more responsible in our relationships with people. When we move we have a chance to grow.
When we move, we can grow in our faith in God. We learn that our security is not the the place we called home or the people we knew. We learn that our security is in God. God was in the place where you used to live, and God is assuredly in the new place you now call home.
In our sermon this Sunday we will look at the story of Abraham and Sarah and talk about starting over after a move.