Why We Ran Away

I saw a painting recently titled The Flight into Egypt, and it depicted the spirited journey of Joseph, Mary, and a baby Jesus to Egypt. After being warned by an angel to take his family and run away to Egypt, Joseph went! He did it to save Jesus from being killed by King Herod. It made me think of my own recent flight.

I remember being hurt when a well-meaning family member questioned were we running away. We had just dropped the bombshell to our friends and family that we planned to sell our possessions and hit the open road in an RV. I got it, in a way. I mean, it was totally out of left field. Cause isn’t something usually seen that way when God speaks a major shift?

My husband’s business had gone bankrupt, so I’m sure a lot of people thought we were running from failure, but that wasn’t even it. He couldn’t save the sinking ship of his business that started going under way before God told us to go, but I guess the final nail in the coffin, when he had to shut the doors, did push us to follow God’s plan.

We weren’t running from a failed business, we weren’t running from responsibility. We weren’t even running from the fact that we had just lost an income, but still had bills coming in. No, our flight was for freedom, and much like Joseph, we too worried about the things that were trying to harm our children. We felt like God had told us to go, to go and save our family. Were we running away? Maybe. But we were not running from obligation. We were running out of the status quo.

We felt almost smothered by the ideas that said success came packaged a certain way. This majority ideal said happiness came wrapped in a fat bank account and big house. It toted the importance of a shiny, new SUV, perfectly manicured lawns, and matching outfits on Sunday morning. This world said more was better. More work, more stuff, and subsequently, more debt. Most folks worked overtime just to save up for that Disney trip, the one that would leave them exhausted and needing another vacation. Along with the thirst for more came the yearning for more success, more promotions, more pay! It was followed by full pocketbooks, overflowing schedules, packed to-do lists, but often empty sails. All the rushing, striving, and falling short left you feeling tired, angry, and behind. It was never enough. And I think that was the biggest problem for me. I never felt like I was enough. You work your whole life to reach a certain level in life, and for what? You end up old, looking back at your life, and you realize you focused on all the wrong stuff. I didn’t want that regret!

We wanted to raise our own children, to see each other more. We wanted to parent together, to live life together, not just trudge through it worn out and dissatisfied. We wanted to slow down, smell the roses, enjoy our children, and grab ahold of time before it slipped away. Because in the end a life well-lived meant loving those around you, not all that other stuff that would rust and fade.

We were running for our family. We were running for freedom from materialism. We were running out of the box. We were fleeing to Egypt, because the way the world was headed, we knew it meant our children harm. We weren’t trying to shelter them from the real world, but rather wanted to show them what was really real! It wasn’t name brands or even making a name for themselves. It was about loving Jesus and showing His love to others. Sometimes you can be distracted from that by all the noise of a busy life. We had to flee distraction.

We’re not perfect. We still mess up life. But we don’t sit still in a boiling pot either. We opened our eyes to what God was telling us was important, and that looks different for everyone! I’m not saying you have to sell everything and hit the open road like we did. That’s what God called us to do. But I am saying that sometimes we all need a Flight into Egypt. We all need to listen to the Lord and ask Him to show you the things that may be a danger to your family. At that point you’ll have to run, you’ll have to flee from those things so you can focus on His best for your family. Running away isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it’s exactly what you need.

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