I have been very much enjoying rereading the bible. Many of the stories are familiar, particularly these ones of the later years of Abraham and Sarah, the birth of Isaac and his marriage to Rebekah and the birth of their sons Esau and Jacob. As a child in Sunday school, we learned about these characters and their stories. During a pandemic when everything is a little bit unfamiliar, there is much comfort in returning to them. They are so simple, and yet there can be so many layers to them. As a child I was always a bit appalled that Abraham could even consider sacirficing his long awaited son, and wondered “what kind of story is that”? Taking a step back however, and thinking about it more in terms of the most important thing in one’s life, my perspective changes. For Abraham the most important thing (if you will) in his life was his son Isaac (a son he never thought he would have), and sometimes the most important things in life we can take for granted and not appreciate their significance. Being at home with my family, over these pandemic months sometimes is a lot like this. My family is my most important thing, but having them always around I sometimes can take them for granted, and become more focused on having a quiet tea to myself or other daily rituals and tasks. Always completing these things in place of spending quality time with my family can cause me to fall off balance in life. Self care is always important, more so during a pandemic, however quality family time is important to for everyone’s health and well-being too. With the story of Abraham and Isaac this is what I see, a father so focused on God, that he is intent on sacrificing his only son, and it is God who brings this extreme situation back into balance.
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