When Life Asks the Impossible: Trusting the Adventure
You're making progress, but it's so slow. Meanwhile, everyone around you seems to be zooming past. How do you keep going when you feel so far behind?
It’s scary. You wonder: “Why? Didn’t I do everything right? Why would I have to give this up now, after coming so far?”
God is both the wave and the ocean, the candle and the sun.
Genesis 22 is about a moment like this. It’s the story of Abraham and Isaac—but it’s really about you, about what happens inside when life puts you face-to-face with the very thing you love…and asks if you will let it go.
The Story: Abraham’s Big Test
Abraham is a character we’ve followed for several chapters. Remember, every person in these stories represents a part of you. Abraham is the side of you that can believe in the invisible—your deep decision-maker, your trust in something higher, the voice inside that says “yes” to growth, even when you don’t understand how it will happen.
After years of waiting, Abraham finally has his son, Isaac. Isaac is more than just a person—he’s the seed of hope you’ve carried, the dream come true, your big win.
“God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ He said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering...’” (Genesis 22:1-2 WEB)
Pause and notice those words: “your only son, whom you love.” This story is about the moments when life (or call it awareness, your true self) asks you to risk everything precious. Not as punishment, but as part of your journey to something even bigger.
What’s Really Happening? (Literal and Symbolic)
What if the voice calling The bigger awareness speaks through callings—not just what you should do, but who you're becoming in the process. you forward has been waiting patiently for you to listen?
- Abraham: Your inner trust—your ability to listen and follow a greater vision, even if you don't know why.
- Isaac: The thing you love—your closest dream, your hard-earned success, your source of joy.
- “Offering” Isaac: Being willing to let go, even when it feels impossible, so you can see who you really are beyond what you own or have built.
- God (Awareness): The quiet knowing inside you that always sees the bigger picture, even if your everyday mind can’t.
When Abraham hears this hard request, he doesn’t argue. He doesn’t bargain. He shows up and prepares.
“Abraham rose early in the morning... He split the wood... He went to the place that God had told him.” (Genesis 22:3)
Why Do Hard Choices Show Up?
You may wonder, why does life put us in these spots? Here’s the thing: it’s actually common for big dreams to reach a point where you must let go of your sense of control. That’s how you grow into someone who can truly hold a new, bigger life.
Think about the pop culture story of Thomas Edison (a famous inventor who worked on the lightbulb). His workshop once burned down. All his hard work, gone in minutes. Did he give up? No. He let go of what was lost, started again, and soon came up with his best inventions.
What if This mirrors what we discovered about breaking from conformity
Picture Tom, who let go of his planned career path and found his true calling The bigger awareness speaks through callings—not just what you should do, but who you're becoming in the process. in teaching.
It wasn’t the fire that made Edison who he was—it was his response to the loss. He had to release what he’d built, so he could build something bigger.
- Truth bomb: had to start over?
- Can you recall a time when, after losing something dear, something new was able to grow in its place?
That’s the hidden pattern at the heart of Genesis 22.
Walking the Mountain: The Inside Journey
“Abraham took the wood... and laid it on Isaac... and they both went together.” (Genesis 22:6)
Abraham and Isaac climb the mountain—a physical journey, yes, but also one that shows what it’s like to face a challenge with your whole heart.
- Climbing the mountain is saying yes to the unknown.
- It’s feeling every worry (“Will I lose what I love?”) but moving forward anyway.
- It’s being fully present, even when you’d rather run the other way.
Isaac asks Abraham, “Where is the lamb for the offering?” (Genesis 22:7). That’s the part of you that wants to know: “Why is this happening? What happens next?”
“Abraham said, ‘God will provide himself the lamb...’” (Genesis 22:8)
He doesn’t lie. He doesn’t pretend to know the answer. He simply trusts that a way will appear.
- If you’re in a hard place, can you sit with the question, without rushing to fix it?
- Are you willing to trust that possibilities might show up, even if you can’t see them right now?
The Crucial Moment: Letting Go with Love
At the top of the mountain, Abraham prepares to release what he loves. It’s not about violence or loss. He is fully present and ready to surrender his most precious dream—not because he wants to, but because he’s been asked by the deepest part of himself to trust at another level.
Entrepreneurs see the company before the first sale. Parents see their child's potential before it manifests.
“Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. Yahweh’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’... ‘Don’t lay your hand on the boy... Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’” (Genesis 22:10-12)
In that moment of full surrender, a new opportunity appears:
“Abraham looked, and saw behind him a ram caught in the thicket... Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him... instead of his son.” (Genesis 22:13)
Here is the key: when you let go—truly let go—something unexpected shows up. Not what you feared would happen, but a new path that you couldn’t have known about before.
This story isn’t really about losing Isaac. It’s about releasing your own grip, so you remember where your real power comes from: your direct connection to awareness, to being alive. When you’re willing to trust that life is bigger than any outcome, you make space for solutions you didn’t imagine.
- Can you recall a time when you thought you lost, but then a new way appeared?
- What if the point wasn’t to lose what you love, but to open your hands so something new could arrive?
Receiving the Promise: The Return
“Yahweh’s angel called to Abraham a second time... ‘Because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I will bless you, and multiply your offspring as the stars...’” (Genesis 22:15-17)
The story ends with a blessing. What was most precious is given back, plus more. It’s not a magic trick. It’s a pattern: when you trust your awareness, even in the hardest spot, you come out more whole, able to live a bigger life.
Track your guidance requests and responses. The pattern will amaze you.
How Genesis 22 Maps Your Inner World
Development Insight: Expectation helps you receive what's trying to come through.
Visualization isn't wishful thinking—it's how you tune into what's trying to emerge.
- Desire: You hope for something, build it, receive your "Isaac."
- Challenge: Life asks you to risk that very thing; you face losing it.
- Choice: You listen to the deeper awareness and choose trust—letting go, even when it’s hard.
- Return: The thing you love is either returned, multiplied, or something better shows up. You become more than who you were.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about remembering that you are bigger than any one dream, failure, or win. Your greatest power is your ability to notice, to choose, to trust, and to open your hands for whatever comes next.
Real Life Application: If You’re Facing a Hard Choice
- Pause. Notice what you’re really feeling, even if it feels scary.
- Breathe. Ask yourself, “Can I let this go, even for a moment, and trust that something new is possible?”
- Look around. What options or help do you see now, that you didn’t see before?
- Be honest. You don’t have to fake hope. Trust is just being open to discovering what shows up when you release control.
Remember, awareness never asks you to do the impossible for nothing. Every “mountain” is a chance to discover how much more is possible when you trust the adventure of being alive.
Pop Culture Check-In: athletes retiring at their peak’s Release
Think of athletes retiring at their peak, a famous football player known for his faith, who was released by his NFL team at the height of his career. Instead of seeing this as the end, Tebow looked for what else was possible—moving into broadcasting and charities, helping thousands of people. He didn’t cling to the old dream. By letting go, he made space for new victories.
That’s Abraham’s lesson: losing something or almost losing it isn’t always an ending. Sometimes, it’s the doorway to something more.
One Simple Practice for Right Now
Think about one thing you’re afraid to lose (a project, a relationship, an opportunity, anything important to you). Grab a piece of paper and write down this question:
- “If I had to let go of this today, what bigger life could open up for me?”
Just notice what comes up. You aren’t promising to quit; you’re giving yourself permission to see beyond your grip. Sometimes, that’s enough for a new answer to show up.
What’s Next? Genesis 23: Finding Ground After Letting Go
In the next chapter, the story follows Abraham as he finds a place to lay down old dreams and move forward peacefully. We’ll explore what happens after you release control—how to honor what was, and build new stability, one choice at a time.
Change your relationship to fear and fear becomes excitement.
For now, remember: your true self—your deep awareness—won’t let you lose what matters most. Every test is really about finding out how free, how creative, and how much more alive you can become.
