Where are we going Dad?

A man went on vacation and left his pet cat with his brother.  He calls a few days into the trip and asks after the cat.  His brother says, "Well the cat's dead." The owner is upset telling his brother, "You can't deliver bad news like that.  First tell me the cat is stuck up on the roof.  Then later tell me that you are trying but he won't come down.  Then in a few days that he is looking bad.  Then when you tell me he's dead, I'm mentally prepared." The brother apologizes and it gets quiet.  The cat's owner says, "so how's Grandpa?" (Pause) "Grandpa went up on the roof and won't come down."

Sometimes we need to be the barer of bad news but it is never fun.

Some conversations are difficult to have.  I was talking to a coworker today about how we never get feedback from our peers.  I said that we would all improve if we felt free to go to one another and say, "Here is an area that I think you could do better."  She looked really uncomfortable at the thought of having that conversation.  Truth be told, I wouldn't like being on either side of that conversation either.  Some conversations are just difficult and we would like to avoid them.

Which brings us to the story of Abraham and Isaac.  God says to Abraham that he has to sacrifice his son.  So off they go.  What did Abraham say to Isaac on the way?  How did he explain it to him?  Did he simply lie, or did he tell Isaac what they were off to do?  How would you even start such a conversation.

The story of Abraham and Isaac is a hard story to hear.  Today, if someone said that they heard from God that they had to kill their son, we would not think that they were blessed, we would think them crazy.  And not a little crazy or fun crazy, lock him up crazy.   How did Abraham not sound crazy when he spoke to his servants and his son?  Maybe he never had to explain what they were doing or why.  Maybe Isaac accepted that the Lord would provide an offering with out knowing the alternative.  Maybe Isaac knew what was being asked and went anyway.

Watch this clip from Pastor Lowell.

Abraham's message to Isaac was that God would provide.  God would take care of it.  I suppose that is a good basis for any awkward conversation, "God will provide," Money is tight, but God will provide.  There is a conflict at work, but God will provide.  We need an opportunity, but God will provide.

God is our provider and with that in mind, nothing is that awkward.