This morning, as I read the story of Abram's aching heart in Genesis 15, I realized something. Vultures await. Abram was desperate for a son and scratching his head that God had not given him one yet.
God said: You WILL have a son. Now make a covenant with me.
So in bloody Israelite-style, Abram carved some creatures in half as a sign that he would trust and honor God with his hopes and dreams.
Then the vultures came... Gen 15:11
We split open our hearts in an attempt to trust God with our deepest desires, and the scent of covenant draws the vultures.
Vultures will scavenge from Kathy's Sabbath rest. Vultures' slow-winged descent will keep Chris from dancing. Their hunger will keep me from living in the spirit of my three words. They will gather and circle above us as soon as they see opportunity. They are carrion-eaters disguised as negative voices, unchecked appetites, over-scheduled days, fatigue, illness, apathy.
But they can be chased away. They must.
Then the vultures came, and Abram chased them away. Gen 15:11
My prayer for the covenant-makers, for those of us who are always striving to live holier lives, is this: that we will spot the vultures gathering, and we will chase them away.
Vultures--the only ones I've ever remotely liked are from the Disney version of the Jungle Book. But even they, friendlier than most, spend their time in apathy. 'Whatcha wanna do?' "I don't know, whatcha wanna do?" It eats away at this quest faster than we can blink. I'm with you, let's beat the vultures away.
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