Matthew, chapter two...

reads like a trip tic from AAA as the text covers the Magi's trip from the East to Jerusalem seeking the child. Then Joseph spends time packing the donkeys to move his wife and child from Bethlehem to Egypt and then back to Israel, eventually settling in Nazareth.

The chapter is busy with all the travel action and of course the human tension between an enraged and jealous king in contrast to a humble child king. It's this chapter that usually gives a lot of press to the Magi from the East. Certainly their seeking after Jesus, their worship, their giving of gifts and then their obedience to disobey Herod's orders are fodder for application, sermons and blog posts (of course!).

Today though, I was more struck by the travel and moving. As a child although my father was not in the military, we moved a great deal. I lived in Florida (2 places), Illinois, Tennessee, New Mexico, and North Carolina. I remember every move but one, and each one for me was a time full of emotional distress and anxiety. I was not a particularly social child and had a hard time with the whole "Class, let me introduce our new student, Elle. Everyone say 'Hi, Elle!'" And the pigtailed girl in the third row sticks her tongue out at me when the teacher turns her back. ~sigh~ It was not an easy time for me.

It led to some very strong convictions on my part that I would never marry anyone in the military (because I'd heard that they moved around a lot), and I would not move around a lot. Yes, God heard the infantile vows of that 9 year old and bingo! I married a man in the military. So from the age of 21 until now (38) I lived in two countries and 4 different states with 2-3 moves within each state. There was a period of time where I literally lived out of my suitcase for longer than I had said suitcase unpacked.

Each move as a child was invested with fear over having to make new friends and fit into the social hierarchy jungle of public school. I petitioned God constantly for help in the transitions. I wanted Him to swoop in and make it all easy. I quaked at the newness.

As an adult each move held similar overtones of fear as to what did God have planned for me in this new place. Again I wanted Him to swoop in and make all things right, and easy. In one country, I constantly lost my husband to deployments. In one state I lost my house. In another state I lost my son. And in another state, I almost lost my sanity. I crumbled at the losses.

Chapter two of Matthew depicts this little family in both the midst of newness and losses. Just married, just had a baby, just barely settled into a Bethlehem domicile when Magi arrive with expensive gifts, just getting over that shock and warned to flee--in the middle of the night no less.

The loss of security in the city you thought you were supposed to raise this child. The loss of your former neighbors' young sons due to the fury of an enraged madman. The loss of your plans to settle in one home, given to settle in another, yet despised place.

But you cannot miss in this chapter that God's sovereign protection and plan oversaw each move, each loss. As I grew up amongst newness and losses, as I've faced them in my adult life, God has seen fit to teach me His provision, protection and plan for each place. The struggles haven't been swooped away, nor things made easy. But His hand, His Word have shaped my heart to a newness of peace for His will and loss of fear for what He will allow.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91:1-2