“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony;In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Albert Einstein

Have you ever found yourself in the middle? In the middle of a long line, awake in the middle of the night, in the middle between older and younger siblings, in the middle of a disagreement, or in the middle of a half gallon of ice cream and questioning whether you should eat the rest?

One time when my family and I were traveling to visit my parents in Eastern Washington, we were stuck in the middle. It was a hot August afternoon when we left Seattle. We had no problem making it down I-5 to I-90. Once on I-90 everything seemed to be going along just fine until around mile marker 47. The time was 3p, and we were not moving. Did I mention that it was hot? Did I mention that we were not moving and that we have three children? I remember looking over to my right and seeing this station wagon loaded (or should I say overloaded) with teenagers (and all their stuff) on their way to the “Creationfest” at the Gorge. This one poor kid had a pillow, sleeping bag, and a duffle bag all on his lap, and he was in the middle. Did I mention that it was hot? He looked like he was going to scream or pass out or maybe both. A little while later, I saw him walking, moving faster than the cars that waited in line. He had solved his problem. At one point, around 2 hours into our wait, I started to postulate solutions to our problem. I began to fantasize about driving our mini-van over the concrete median and heading home. Seriously wondering, how much damage could be done? Would the car still be drivable? Maybe I could just buff out the scratches. I mean really, it would just be a little elbow grease on my part right? Finally, after creeping along for 3 hours and reaching mile marker 54, we were set free from the traffic jam. It was over and we were sailing our way into the night. A simple 3-hour trip became a long and hot 7-hour one.

Have you ever found yourself in the middle? When I think about Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22, I think of a man who was in the middle. On one side, was the God he believed in, loved, and served. On the other was his one and only son for whom he had waited his whole life. A man caught in the middle. Of course, you know the story. Abraham had a choice to make. In the end, it was his faith and trust in God that out weighed his fear and frustration. I hope the next time you find yourself in the middle you will remember Abraham and in so doing you will find the courage to choose wisely.

Thanks for reading.