Rachel Fisher

Genesis 15:1-6 (The Message)

1 After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I’m your shield. Your reward will be grand!”

2-3 Abram said, “God, Master, what use are your gifts as long as I’m childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?” Abram continued, “See, you’ve given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all.”

4 Then God’s Message came: “Don’t worry, he won’t be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir.”

5 Then he took him outside and said, “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You’re going to have a big family, Abram!”

6 And he believed! Believed God! God declared him “Set-Right-with-God.”

Reflection:

Five o’clock p.m. is approximately my favorite time of every weekday. Not because my work has ended, no no no, I am far too much of an evening owl to quit then. I do, however, pause whatever business I am executing, grab my keys, and head downstairs with my best friend (who also happens to be my colleague). Poking our heads into the childcare wing, we are exuberantly greeted by my two favorite people in the entire world—her children. From there, I switch into Peak Rachel Mode TM wherein my imagination takes the wheel and I abandon all inhibitions. For a brief stint, I forget that I have two neglected projects with rapidly approaching deadlines. I forget that I need to call my dentist to reschedule an appointment for a double-booked afternoon. I even forget (once outside, of course) that we are nearly two years into a global pandemic.

No, for those fifteen minutes, my sole purpose is to bake imaginary vanilla cookies with rainbow sprinkles using couch pillows in the church’s Gathering Room. From there, I must avoid the lava by carefully walking along the balance beam, aka the brick pavers outside the Main Entrance. Lastly, I go pick out the best rocks, flowers, and other treasures to take home…or at least as far as the backseat cupholder.

The pièce de résistance, though, is the final act of our daily routine: twirling. Racing to the parking garage, I scoop each kid up, hold them sideways at a VERY precise angle (one we have agreed upon after MANY simulations), and begin my countdown:

“Ah-one, ah-two, THREE!!!”

Away I spin, gripping tight to their torsos as I watch the stationary cars blur into one, colorful cloud. Clocking some pretty impressive g-forces, I balance on the balls of my feet and brace my core so that we do not topple to the ground, shaking my head as I regain regular vision and catch my breath. Naturally, they insist on repeating the maneuver several more times, aspiring that each round be “the fastest we have ever done.”

We take twirling very seriously, our little band of buddies, to the point where my friend’s daughter and I run through a pre-pirouette checklist:

  1. Do I have pockets (to store our nature finds)?
  2. Do I have good shoes (for optimal spinning)?
  3. Do I have a flowy skirt (because why bother otherwise)?

One afternoon, my inspector was reviewing the uniform requirements when I realized my skirt had sewn-in FAKE pockets! One would think all hope was lost as I painstakingly apologized for this oversight.

Looking me squarely in the eyes, this four-year-old wrapped her arms around my legs and reassured me with the simple, yet oh-so profound solution to my woes:

“Rachel, it’s not about the outfit. It’s about the twirling.”

Pockets are great, but they are not necessary for cultivating a true friendship, even so full of adventures.

Dreams are wonderful, but they do not have come true in our timing to keep hope alive.

God is almighty but is not so distant that we should worry with uncertainty about God’s love for us.

God blessed Abram and Sarai. He blessed their children, and their children’s children, and their children’s children’s children. God sent God’s only son, Jesus Christ, to live and die for us so that all who believe may be Set-Right-with-God. May we never forget his gifts are as many as the stars in the sky. May we never lose sight of the twirling.

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for blessing me. You are my shield, and I pray to always trust in your ways. Help me to be present for each moment on this Earth so that I may worship you in all that I do. Amen.