What God Taught Me about Loving and Leaving

For 20 years, it was my home. The place where friends once strangers became family. The place where I raised my son, but I also grew up spiritually. It set me free to write, to use my gifts, and to create ministry. My worship of God grew in awareness of and in service to the oppressed. My passion for eradicating childhood poverty was birthed in this sacred place. I never would have considered starting my non-profit if not for the seeds sown into my life by my home church, Friendship-West Baptist Church and its pastor, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III.

That’s why leaving was so hard.

But it should have been hard. Over the years, I’ve discovered that I serve best that which I love, and I loved the “Wild Wild West”. I still do. I love the ministry and the pastor. I love the people and I still feel their love for me, but God was enlarging my personal territory. The love would last a lifetime, but my season would eventually end.

Every departure is not birthed out of drama, nor should it be.

Whether it be a ministry, a job, or a relationship, taking the option to leave should only be in obedience to God. Divine destiny will not manifest any other way.

Abraham knew that. He loved his grieving father, Terah, and he missed his deceased brother, Haran, but he had to leave. The family had previously been set on a path to Canaan, but Terah’s destiny and peace was in the city of Harran (Haran and Harran - queue the spiritual irony). God called Abraham to Canaan, and the love and support of his family would go with him.

No arguments. No debates.

Just obedience and trusting God to take care of what and who you leave behind.

That’s how you love and leave.

Every one of us will have moments in life where we must make hard choices about our future.

If your decision might require movement, consider three things:

#1 - Is this my destination or just a season?

Abraham was 75 years old when God call him out to Canaan. Sometimes, there's a work to be done before destiny. Abraham had work to do in Harran first. His family needed to heal. His father needed peace. God would not have him leave and those who remained not only be okay but flourish. Harran (the city) means “a parched, hot land.” Haran’s (the son) name mean “mountaineer”, one existing in a place of fullness. It was the destiny of Terah, not Abraham, to bring the legacy of Haran in ministry to the city of Harran and he did so even after Abraham’s departure, living a total of 205