“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” Hagar answered. Continue reading…
After being utterly rejected and deeply mistreated by her mistress Sarah, Hagar’s broken heart drove her into the wilderness. Hagar had good reasons to feel angry, hurt and run away.
We’ve all been deeply wounded and our responses are all over the map.
When we’ve been utterly dejected it’s understandable to lash out or run away. Whatever the circumstances of our wounding may be, blaming God or the people who have wounded us will get us nowhere. I understand the desire to run from people and situations, but not from God.
In my early twenties some my friends ran away to Hawaii and the Caribbean, but discovered their running away never really solved anything. It usually doesn’t. It just delays dealing with whatever or whomever you’re running from.
Many gather audiences to listen to their angry complaints and the outrage they feel for their offender? How long is the guest list for your pity party? Unfortunately, pity parties never result in authentic benefit or blessing, but only enlarge and intensify our wound by repeatedly exposing it.
It’s seems instinctive and so much easier to focus on our hurts or the offender.
It’s about them not me. Let me prove my point and tell you what he or she did to me. Mistakes we’re made but not by me… We develop blind spots that can be easily seen by everyone… except ourselves.
If we’re stuck in this pity party mode for too long it can define us and become our MO.
Our default mechanism is to defensively rationalize our negative spirit and not take ownership for our own stuff. We can easily point out the character defects of others and set standards or expectations that we ourselves do not keep.
When we do this we unknowingly continue the cycle of wounding in our families and relationships. We know we need meaningful relationships, but we unintentionally push people away from us. Yes, come close, but go away… Unfortunately, this is reality for far too many.
Many take their wounded hearts and run away from the very people and places that can help them. We go to endless empty places and things to satisfy our deep longings, but no matter how far or how hard we may run, thankfully we can’t outrun God.
In the midst of her desperation Hagar ran right into God’s everlasting arms. God showed up in a place she least expected. There she met God. That’s where we meet God too, where we least expect. God is closer than you think.
In the wilderness God gave Hagar a hope and a promise for her future. Afterwards she declared, “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
God sees you too. He is the ‘God who sees you’ and intimately knows and sees everything going on in your life. He sees your plans, your hard work, your compassion, your broken dreams, your disappointment, your sadness and your tears.
God sees your heart. He deeply cares about you and has a hope and future for you too. Do you believe that? Rather than running away from Him it’s far better to run to Him. Now, start running, it’s a brand new day.
