Becoming a Moses

We all need a Moses for the journey. We need a Moses because we cannot do it alone. Life in Egypt breeds loneliness, fear, and isolation. But having a Moses in our life enables us to face our enslavements and casts a vision of hope.

A mentor named Roger played the role of Moses during several critical years of my life. Roger sat with me almost every week for three years with a kind of curiosity and compassion that I had never experienced before. He seemed to delight in my mundane stories. He remembered key names from my past. He anticipated how I’d react to different situations because he knew me so well. I don’t think I’ve ever been known like that by anyone other than my wife. He was an extraordinary gift.

Over time, I no longer needed regular time with Roger. Very slowly God was calling and equipping me to become a Roger to others. They’d say things to me that I would ordinarily say to Roger. They’d talk about my patience or my compassion, and I’d think, “I’m just being Roger.” But then I’d hear Roger in my ear saying, “You’re just being Chuck.”

A decade later, I do not see or talk to Roger much at all. I’ve moved across the country, and though he’s an important part of my past, we do not connect as we once did. Part of growth means being released into the freedom of that new name, that new identity, that new dignity. Roger was a Moses who helped me face and articulate the injustice and pain in my life. He spoke to a deeper dignity and challenged me with a vision for life beyond my brokenness. This very vision required me to leave and become a Moses to others.

DeGroat, Chuck (2011-12-01). Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places (p. 55). Square Inch. Kindle Edition.

Resolve, that was a big moment and big word for me, it was a moment in time, such that I can hardly type this through the water in my eyes as were so many other times.  Thank You Justin !!!!