I'm doing Jen Wilkin's study "God of Covenant" right now, and this week we were covering the first part of the life of Abraham. My imagination got stuck on Chapter 12 where God calls Abram to leave everything behind and go to the land God promises to give to him. Abram obeys, builds two different altars to worship God on previously pagan sites, and then what happens? Verse 10 states, "Now there was famine in the land..." Say what? Abram went in obedience to this unknown place, and then there's no food...seemingly no provision. Why would God allow this?
The more I considered this verse, the more I thought it apropos for certain times in our lives. We take that job, make that move, start that ministry--whatever it is that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has called us to do, and then nothing. No success. No new relationships. No growth. We're in a famine and wondering what we've done wrong.
The following poem is an extended allusion, a supposal, and a metaphor combined. The allusion is, of course, to Genesis 12 and Abraham's situation. It's me imagining what it was like to be in Abram's situation. It is a supposal (a term C.S. Lewis coined for "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe") in that I am imagining what would have happened if Abram had called on the name of the Lord rather than go down to Egypt (which Jen Wilkin's tells us is an archetype for self-reliance in the Bible). And finally, it is a metaphor for those times in our lives when we see ourselves in the same circumstances as Abram.
One other note. The word "here" is repeated numerous times in the poem. You might think it was just sloppy writing or I couldn't think of another word to use. On the contrary. It's very intentional. Numerous times in the scriptures God asks the question of people "Where are you?" in order to draw them into a dialogue with Him, and usually it is because they are not where they should be. The repeated use of the word "here" is an indication that we are where we are supposed to be, but all seems not right from our limited perspective of the situation. The here is important because here is where we are called to trust in the everlasting faithfulness of God.
This is quite a long explanation for a rather short poem. My apologies for wordiness.
You've called me here
To this place alone.
I've followed You here
Beyond all I have known.
But the land of promise
Is a dry and barren zone
And I'm questioning You here
As there's a famine here in Canaan.
I've hung my head
Shaking in the dust.
Cried these tears
While You're asking me to trust.
Looked to the heavens
Knowing You are righteous and just
But I'm aching here
And there's a famine here in Canaan.
I will cling
To the covenants You've made.
I will remain.
I'll not be turned or swayed
To my own plans or designs
Become easily waylaid.
The desert will bloom
And I'll be dancing here in Canaan.