Running

In Genesis 16 there is a story of a slave woman, Hagar, who ran away from her mistress. And right in the middle of her running God met her and asked her,

“…where have you come from, and where are you going?”- Genesis 16:7

I often see people running away from problems, I am guilty of that. Often we run away from problems because it seems so much easier than facing them and fixing them. But unfortunately, the problems stick to us like shadows. I’ve watched so many people lately react to others in hurtful ways, yet never expressing the pain they feel or bring up the problem with the one by whom they’ve been hurt. I watch and wonder, where does all this hate and bitterness come from and where is it all going? To where is it leading? Anywhere good? Is it leading to a place of peace and joy? Is it leading to healing? Or do we find ourselves stranded in the middle of nowhere like Hagar? The beauty of this story is that God met this woman in that middle-of-nowhere-place. He met her in her pain and did not let it consume her. He gave her the direction she needed.

Often, like Hagar, facing those who have hurt us is the first step to healing, whether it be a friend, family member, coworker, or even country or environment, but it’s not always the case. If I was offended by a harsh correction made by my ballet master, the excuse isn’t to find a new job or complain to my boss. Maybe I need to ask myself why it stung so badly? Was it true? Do I just not want to be wrong? Did it remind me of something hurtful said in the past? I probably need to show up the next day and keep working. But maybe you’re in an abusive relationship, then you probably should step away, but get counseling and work through the trauma. God will show you what facing your problems looks like as long as you open your heart to healing.

I can’t say how many people I’ve seen get mad at each other, hurt each other but never talk about it, never have the desire to seek peace or healing. They just keep hurting each other thinking that at some point it will make them feel better, but hurt + hurt always equals more hurt.
I think these two questions are great to ask ourselves whenever we find ourselves trying to escape an uncomfortable place. Where are all these feelings coming from? And where is it leading me? If it’s not leading to life and restoration, we should probably try a new path.

May God give us the grace to look back and the strength to move forward.