And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. ~~ Genesis 12:5 ESV
Abram lived in Haran with his father, Terah, and all this extended family for years. The Bible does not say how long they lived in Haran, but Terah lived to be 205 years old. After Terah’s death, the Lord instructed Abram to leave the land he knew for a long time and to go to a place that God showed him. By faith, Abram packed all the possessions he gathered over the years and departed from the land as the Lord instructed.
This morning as I read from Genesis, the phrase “and all their possessions they had gathered” stood out to me. I suppose I took notice of it as I realize how many possessions I’ve gathered over the past 21 years in the last few weeks.
The Lord, who determines the times and places we shall live (Acts 17:26), has opened the opportunity for us to move to a city after living for 21 years in a small community. We are sorting through what to keep and what to throw away. And yes, we’re realizing what trash collectors we had become. All the “we can fix this later” projects have been tossed away.
I wonder how many U-Haul camels Abram rented. We’re striving to ensure that all the possessions we’ve gathered fit in one U-Haul truck. And I’m so thankful we do not have to move with camels as we will be moving two cats and one dog.
With the arrival of a new year, my family is embarking on a new adventure. I will miss all that is familiar to me, especially the friendships that have been made. I am also thankful that technology makes it much easier to stay in touch today. I hope that all of my dear friends will stay in contact with me. I also look forward to meeting new people.
My posts will be sporadic or perhaps not at all during this transition. Lord willing, I’ll return to regular blog posts after the move of all the possessions I have gathered is completed.
Happy New Year to all of you!!
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