Yesterday, Sophia and I went to a mall. Being unfamiliar with the layout, I immediately went to the store directory with the color-coded mall map. There I found three little words that would enable me to find my way to the nearest Libby Lu and accomplish my mission. "You are here."
In the Bible the book of Genesis tells, among many others, the story of a man named Jacob. By chapter 32, Jacob had seized an opportune moment to manipulate his brother, had tricked his father, and had suffered more than a few run-ins with his father-in-law. He had left home as a young man, fearing the wrath of an angry brother. Many years passed. Productive years, but years away from home. Jacob longed to go back to his boyhood home and to be reconciled with his brother. So, he gathered his considerable family and his considerable belongings and headed in that direction. He had no idea that, like me, he would also need a “You are here” encounter along the way.
In order for me to reach my intended destination at the mall, I had to first discover where I was. I stared intently at the mall map until I could determine where I was in relation to where I needed to be. I see the same thing happen with Jacob. His name meant “Deceiver”, and until he came to grips with who he was and where he was in life, he had no way of completing his journey. No way to truly be reconciled with the brother he had wronged all those years before. As he literally wrestled with God, Jacob came clean about his name, owning up to the fact that it did indeed match his character… or lack of it. This confession was the catalyst for a marvelous transformation. God gave Jacob a new name, a new “You are here” star on the path of his dishonest life. Israel then headed in the right direction, with reconciliation on the horizon.
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