Reorientation

 The Spiritual Waiting Room

Reorientation

Adaptive Transformative

Restoring Reversing Regenerating

Beyond Blindness and Unbelief

Turnaround

(the picture and poem are by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture: Genesis 12: 1 to 3

The Lord spoke to Abram: "Leave your family and go to a land that I will point out to you. I will make a great people come from you and I will bless you. Your name will be known by everyone and goodness will flow from you. If anyone blesses you, I will make sure that that person is also blessed. If anyone gives you a problem, I will give them a problem also. Everyone on earth shall find bounty in you."

(scripture adapted by John J. McNamara)

Reflection:

Have you ever started in one direction and then got a little confused and wondered if you were going in the right direction? As a typical guy I hate to ask for directions! Of course with our GPS we have things much easier; but even that can fail us!

Abram had it much harder. He was asked to leave the familiar and the comfortable and take a journey into the unknown. A scary proposition.

Kathy's photo has me journeying on the beach at Fire Island at night. The full moon helped me to stay on the path as I made it to the Fire Island Lighthouse. 

That journey was much easier than Abram's. During his journey he was transformed. He became even more dependent on God. He followed God's Word. He placed complete trust in God.

He moved his life in a different direction. He risked everything. This move could have been a total disaster.

In our own lives we face similar situations. Should we listen to the voice of God? Should we follow God's Word? If my life has been going in one direction, can I change and follow a different path?

I remember when I was first asked to teach Religion. It was in a Special Education Program on a Saturday morning. I was assigned a young man who could not communicate at all. I taught him using pictures and engaged him in the message----the Good News. 

The amazing thing in that experience for me was that he looked forward so much to coming each week. I thought my experience of teaching would be more interactive. I went in a different direction. God blessed me with an even deeper experience of God's Love. I realized that words were not needed on our journey in learning. The expression in the eyes told the story. 

At times we have to reorient and take a different path and another look at what we have been doing. That second look can bring those amazing blessings that God promised to Abram. 

My blessing that night on Fire Island was in meeting some wonderful people on my journey----when I finally went in the right direction!

1. Have you ever had to reorient your life?

2. Abram showed an amazing trust in God. Is it easy or hard for you to trust in God?

3. What are the blessings that God has shared with you on your journeys?