How well I remember the day my husband, who was
preaching through the life of Jacob, said to me, “I think the Lord has said to
me, ‘Return to the land of your fathers' (Gen. 31:3)."
“Surely not,” I replied, unlike Rachel and Leah
who quickly supported their husband’s plan to move them about six hundred miles
to a land they had never visited. “Do whatever God has told you,” they said to
their husband in Gen. 31:16b. I was, hmmm, less supportive.
My husband replied, “It seems the face of our
employers has turned against me, and as I studied this passage in Genesis, I
sensed the Lord saying the same thing to me that He said to Jacob. Our parents
are old. I believe we should return to the place where we met and married, and
see them into their graves. And I believe God has meaningful employment for me
there.”
The Lord confirmed His word to my husband by
providing a teaching job for him at Talbot School of Theology, a job where he
has taught hundreds of students and encouraged them to follow God and where he
has flourished. His flocks have increased and “the man grew exceedingly
prosperous” (Gen. 30:43). We now have 18 grandchildren, most of whom live within
a 30 mile radius. And my husband and I have had a long and prosperous ministry.
We did see our parents into their graves. They
lived into their 80’s and 90’s and one by one, they left us and entered into
the presence of Jesus. My sister said, “I’m glad you came back. I couldn’t have
done it by myself.”
My journey of following my husband was not as
easy as Rachel and Leah’s seemed to be—I tried to reason my husband out of his
decision. “We’ve built this beautiful home on an 800 acre greenbelt. Our sons are
in college and graduate school here and they probably won’t move with us,
though our daughters will because they are younger. I’m sure you can fix what
is wrong at the church.”
Eventually, however, I said, “I will go where
you go. You’re the head of this house and I’ll follow your leadership, though I
probably won’t do it very well.” And I didn’t do it very well—there were some
days when I cried, other days when I saw nothing ahead for me (though I knew it
was going to be good for my husband).
Now, over twenty years later, I look back to
that day when my husband heard God’s voice. And with all my heart, I thank God
for speaking to my husband, for moving us back to California. He has constantly
blessed us here. Our daughters had the
opportunity to go to Biola University with a faculty discount, two of our
children went to Talbot, and I went to seminary, too. God used my education to
open a door for me to serve for over a decade in women’s ministries at a large
church. Our daughters found their godly husbands here and established their
families.
The proverb says, “Blessed is the man finds
wisdom, who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and
yields better return than gold” (Prov. 3:13-14).
The Scriptures are written for our
understanding. They are written for our profit. We are to search them and sit
under them—they instruct us; we do not instruct them. We are to listen as we
read, test what we think we hear, and then follow what God is saying. He is committed to leading us in the way of
wisdom with all its resulting joys.
Even when it means a re-location.
Even when it means a re-location.
- Nell Sunukjian
How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.
How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.
Thank you for this tangible example and reminder of what it means to follow God through life's relocations and transitions.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nell
ReplyDelete