We love the familiar.
I’m famous for that at restaurants.
Not really wanting to try a new restaurant.
And even at a familiar restaurant, only ordering
the same old thing instead of trying a new entrée. Why do I do that? Two words. It’s safe.
I only shop at one grocery store. Why?
I know where everything is and I’m comfortable there.
It seems faster and easier than going somewhere else, even
if they have the same stuff, just in a different place.
Ever been overseas and found a familiar brand or restaurant?
Why is that so thrilling?
When I lived in Spain, everything I did, every place I went, everything I ate, was a cross-cultural experience. After a while, I was starved for the
familiar. Even to the point of having my
mom mail me a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese. (I am being vulnerable here
because honestly Kraft mac and cheese is pretty disgusting—how could that
be the thing I craved? But it was!) I remember when it came in the mail and the Señora
fixed it for my roommate and I. You
would have thought we had died and gone to heaven. All for that familiar cheese sauce that is
really not that good. But it was a taste of home.
Most of us like the familiar.
Because, let’s face it, it is “the known.” The comfortable. The safe.
We have to be careful, though.
The familiar can become an enemy of stepping
out and following God’s call.
-Think if Abraham
and Sarah had never left Ur.
-Or if David
had never fought Goliath.
-Or if the disciples had never followed Jesus.
You can fill in pretty much any Bible character.
They had to take a risk to receive God’s
blessing and experience his adventure.
In my experience, God does not call us to the familiar.
Instead, he calls us out
of our habits, out of our comforts, and out of our normal into the
unknown.
But that’s where he can reveal his provision, his power, and
his faithfulness.
The choice is ours.
Or if Mindy had never attended that Breathe conference....��
ReplyDeleteYes, Glenys!! Exactly!!
ReplyDeleteI relate to living away from home and getting excited about things I didn't eveb really like that much just because they reminded me of home! It's funny how we do that! But yes, we would miss out on a lot of what God has for us if we cling to the familiar. Visiting from FMF #5.
ReplyDeleteLesley, Are you from England? What country were you living in? Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
DeleteOne thing about the familiar...it does build relationship and depth. When my wife buys cigars for me, she uses the same smoke shop, and the proprietor keeps back some of what he knows she'll buy. (Cigars are a necessity for me, to curb nausea and dull pain...ordinary tobacco, I hasten to add!)
ReplyDeleteAnd I do like Kraft mac and cheese!
#1 at FMF this week.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/11/your-dying-spouse-409-necessity-fmf.html
Oh, and I forgot to say, the heading meme would be a GREAT book cover and title.
ReplyDeleteI bet YOU could do it justice, Mindy.
Andrew, using a word as a prompt is a very interesting exercise. I love words and thinking about all of the connotations. I agree with you about the "familiar" building relationship and depth. Until we are familiar with a person, we don't trust or open up to him/her. I do value traditions and doing familiar things, too! Even in the Psalms David took comfort in the fact that God was "familiar with all of his ways." Ps 139:3 In fact, I could probably do a whole blog post taking the word in that direction! :) I think I ended up writing what I did because of a transition that I am currently experiencing. And also, thanks for the compliment. It means the world that you even take the time to read my post!! Hope you and your wife enjoyed your Thanksgiving together.
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