On a recent walk, I watched the rain fall as the sun was shining. Just another day in Houston. It is interesting how quickly life moves from sun to rain, from comedy to tragedy.
Have you ever laughed until you cried? Melanie and I were laughing recently and before we knew it we were both crying. Happy tears!
When Isaac was born, Sarah and Abraham rejoiced. In Bowen Family Systems’ thought, every addition or subtraction from a family becomes a nodal event. The whole system of the family readjusts to accommodate the change. Abraham already had a son. Good news for Sarah became bad news for Hagar. Isaac replaced Ishmael. Sarah laughed, but Ishmael and Hagar cried.
In forty-two years as a pastor, I have seen some strange things. Knowing the Biblical narrative, I understand the joy and the sorrow. Paul would later tell the Christians in Rome to rejoice with those who rejoiced and weep with those who wept (12:15). But can we really do both at the same time?
We understand the joy of a miraculous promise fulfilled. Little Isaac, whose name means laughter, brought together the joy and the tears of waiting for a child until it seemed impossible. Isaac would become the heir through whom God fulfilled his promise. But what about Ishmael? This had to be one of the hardest moments for Abraham: to send his other son Ishmael and the boy’s mother into the wilderness. Did he weep?
God redeems all he allows. Even when we make difficult decisions and life is at its very worst, God is still at his best. Hagar and Ishmael are forgotten by everybody but God. In the moment of despair, God came to the rescue, again. He fulfilled his plan for Ishmael, too, making him the father of twelve sons. Through Ishmael, Abraham became the father of the Arabic people as well as the Israelites.
God’s love is never a zero-sum equation. He loved Isaac and Ishmael at the same time. God has a plan for every person on this earth. I love the words of Lauren Daigle’s song: “You are not hidden. There’s never been a moment when you were forgotten. You are not hopeless. You have been broken, your innocence stolen. I hear you whisper underneath your breath. I hear your “S.O.S.” I will send down an army to find you in the middle of the darkest night – it’s true. I will rescue you.”
Have you ever cried until you laughed? This is Ishmael’s story. This is our story. This is our God. He will come, right on time. Trust him.
