Red Sea Rules: #1

A couple years ago, when I was first diagnosed with cancer, one of my sisters sent me a little book called "Red Sea Rules." I devoured it, and always wanted to come back and savor it.

Since I just had surgery (reconstruction complete! Hooray!!!) and have 10 days off work, this is the perfect time to revisit and savor this little gem. 10 rules, 10 days, and time to breathe and write... so I'm going to share what I learn and love with you each day.

This is a book about dealing with difficult times. For me right now, it's cancer. For you, it could be anything: damaged relationships, unfulfilled dreams, illness or death of someone  you love, financial crisis, uncertain future... fill in the blank, we all have something. My hope is that sharing this will encourage and equip you to move courageously and successfully through your Red Sea.

(By the way, this is a book written for Jesus-loving Christians. HOWEVER, if you don't consider yourself in that category, please don't leave. I believe there's hope and encouragement here for you, too.)

The book's subtitle is "The same God who led you in will lead you out." If you grew up in Sunday school, you might have sang "God will make a way, when there seems no other way." That's what we're talking about.

In the forward, Robert Morgan, the author, describes the book as "a divine protocol for when we find ourselves between the devil and the deep Red Sea." Nice twist on an old saying. :)

First things first, though.

Are you familiar with the Red Sea story in the Bible? You can read it in Exodus 14, but I'll give you the Cliff's Notes.

Previous to this story, Israel had been enslaved by Egypt for 400 years. After 10 horrible plagues, the Egyptian Pharoah finally released the Israelites, who started their long journey back home. However, Pharoah quickly changed his mind - after all, who's going to build your pyramids once you let the work force go? 

Which brings us to our story: ex-slaves on foot, with an uncrossable Red Sea ahead and an army of Egyptian chariots behind. What to do, what to do?

You'd think the ex-slaves were doomed for more pyramid building. But no. God not only parts the Red Sea so they can walk through on DRY land (you'd expect it to be muddy, but ALL the water moved). He lets the waters go back after all the Israelites are safely on the other side AND the Egyptians are half-way across. In spite of living by the Nile, the Egyptians are not good swimmers. That's one way to defeat an army.

Whose side would you want to be on, right?!

By the way, one of my favorite "cancer verses" is from this story. Exodus 14:14 says "The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still." He led me in, He will lead me out. ...If I follow.

Alright. Here's rule #1:

Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

Morgan writes, "...when you are in a difficult place, realize that the Lord either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps known for now only to Himself."

Is that hard to accept? Especially if you have a favorable view of God? The Bible calls Him our father, which makes me think of parents who allow their kids to get into tough situations in order to learn and grow and become better, more mature people. We can extend that to God allowing us to be in a difficult place for a purpose we might not be able to see.

This means my cancer was permitted by God. Not caused by God, but part of His big picture plan. Since I was in nursing school to become a cancer nurse when I was diagnosed, it was easier to see how this could be beneficial, albeit painful. And there have been thousands of other silver linings along the way, too. God's brought me through several other rotten things in life, so this might be easier for me to swallow than for other people. That's OK! Some of God's most favored people wrestled with Him.

Part of this rule includes a reminder of God's promise to never put us where His presence cannot sustain us. For me, cancer pushed me way beyond my own strength, resources, and boundaries. In serious ways and silly ways. An example of the silly is today's surgery. Never in my life did I envision having a plastic surgeon and fake boobs! In the more serious realm, wrestling with mortality has changed me dramatically. Not only how I spend my time, but how I view death and how I value life here vs life in heaven. I hope I share my love more freely now and hold this world more loosely. I would not have gotten to this place without cancer pushing me past my abilities and forcing me to rely on God to sustain and refine me.

Morgan does bring up consequences. Because sometimes - you know, just occasionally - we make our own trouble. He quotes J. I. Packer: "Our God is a God who not merely restores, but takes up our mistakes and follies into His plan for us and brings good out of them." In other words, if you trapped yourself between your own Red Sea and a formidable army, you aren't doomed. I absolutely love that God will redeem our mistakes and make something good out of our trash. Wow.

Take heart: whatever your particular Red Sea, there is good purpose in it, and God can sustain you through it.