Family Dynamics

Click here to read Genesis 13

Abram and Sarai leave Egypt along with Lot, who is Abram's nephew.  We don't know what happened to Abram's brother or why Lot is living/traveling with them; only that he is.  They go down to Egypt together, they trick Pharaoh together into thinking Sarai was Abram's sister, and they leave Egypt together.  But a few miles down the road, they decide to separate.

Not that this should surprise us.  We've all been on family vacations together.  You know how it goes.  You start off all excited and happy with each other.  Singing songs or playing the alphabet game.  Then, somewhere along the way, the children saying, "Are we there yet?" and the spilled juice and the arguing and the weariness of being away from home and the strain of traveling all snowball and you lose your cool.  Or maybe that is just me?

Family dynamics are part of life.  Our connections to others through our DNA and our relationships can at times be the most amazing blessing.  Other times, those ties that bind us chaff us and leave our skin (and souls) feeling raw and throbbing.  We are barely one chapter into Abram's story.  And already we experience a moment of brokenness.  We all know that the number of cows or cash or wealth or anything else does not matter when families fight.  And while the Bible makes the split seem amicable and even polite...we've all been there too.  We put on a happy face for Thanksgiving dinner with Uncle Joey...only to fume all the way home in the car.  When our families spit through divorce, through death, through decisions made to cut the ties that bind...it is painful.

And in the midst of that pain, God re-affirms God's connection and promise that Abram will have off-spring.  It is one of those comforting words we say to each other.  "Don't worry, Abram, even if Lot sulks off.  He was not going to inherit your land anyway.  In fact, your offspring will be more numerous than the grains of sand at your feet."  I will deal with these last verses in my next post...but for now I want you to ponder prayerfully where your family connections are at?  Where do you feel secure and blessed by those you are connected with through DNA?  Where are there tensions and events you don't talk about?  

As you offer these to God, may you sense God's promise and love just Abram did long along in the midst of our relationships (those broken and whole).

blessings ~