When Someone You Love Leaves: The Start of Genesis 23
Sometimes the only way forward is to admit that what you're doing isn't working. But letting go of your plan feels like giving up.
Adults know what this is like: losing a parent, a spouse, a key partner, even outgrowing an old identity. Kids feel it too when friends move away or a pet dies. In business, maybe your first company closes, or you walk away from your “safe” job to start fresh. There is an emptiness and a deep need to find your footing again. You start asking: How do I move forward now? What do I do when the old chapter closes? Genesis 23 offers surprising wisdom, both on the surface and on the inside, for what to do in these big life moments.
When you connect to The bigger awareness transforms obstacles into opportunities the moment you shift from 'why me' to 'what's possible.'
What Genesis 23 Says—The Literal Story
Let’s see what actually happens:
“Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. These were the years of Sarah’s life. Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron)… Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.” (Genesis 23:1-2 WEB)
Sarah, Abraham’s wife, dies. Abraham, the main character, is heartbroken. He cries. He mourns. But the story doesn’t end with sadness. He needs to find a place to bury her—a place he can truly call his own.
“…the sons of Heth answered Abraham… ‘You are a prince of God among us. In the best of our tombs bury your dead…’” (Genesis 23:5-6 WEB)
Abraham wants to buy a piece of land to bury Sarah. The people offer to give it for free, but Abraham insists on paying full price.
“Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named… four hundred shekels of silver.” (Genesis 23:16 WEB)
Abraham buries Sarah in a cave in a field he now owns. This is the first piece of land in Canaan—land that belongs to Abraham and his family forever.
Literal vs. Mystical: What’s Really Going On Here?
On the outside, this is about land, money, and funerals. But underneath, it’s about how you handle loss, endings, and the next big step when something in your life is gone or about to change forever.
Every great building starts with someone willing to leave where they are.
- Abraham is the deciding part of you — the "you" who chooses after something ends.
- Sarah is your dreams and the life you nurtured — a loving, creative part of yourself that brought joy and meaning.
- The cave/land is the new foundation you build on what you’ve lost — a real, tangible next step.
- The sons of Heth are the voices around you—maybe fear, maybe custom, or even friendly support—offering you the “easy way,” but not always what’s real or lasting for you.
- The silver payment is your commitment—you pay in awareness, energy, and full attention to this new chapter.
Sarah’s death shows up whenever something precious to you ends. You feel pain, you might cry, you feel lost—this is all normal. But then, like Abraham, you have the chance to do something practical, honest, and truly yours. That’s the mystical key here.
The Inner Process: Awareness, Decision, Connection
You're like a wave discovering you're part of the ocean. God is the infinite water you've always been connected to.
Like Susan, who found solid ground again by helping others after her own devastating loss.
Most people try to “move on” too quickly. Or, they get stuck in sadness. Abraham shows a third, much wiser way: he pauses, feels his loss fully, then bravely seeks what’s next.
- First, he lets himself mourn. That’s actually the strongest thing you can do with loss: let yourself be aware of it, no matter how it feels. If you’ve ever had to leave a dream behind, how did you handle it? Did you let yourself feel it, or did you stuff your feelings away?
- Next, Abraham starts thinking practically. Where will Sarah rest? This is like moving from pure feeling to clear, grounded thought—seeing the next step, not just wishing for things to go back the way they were.
- He doesn’t accept the easy way out (a free tomb). He knows that to truly start over, he needs to buy the land—make it his, not borrowed or owed to someone else.
- He acts with clarity and full commitment. He pays the price, openly and without shortcuts. This is how new foundations are always built.
What This means in Real Life: When Endings Become Real Beginnings
Think about the last time you lost something really important—maybe your best friend moved, you had to close a business, or you let go of a project you loved. At first, it hurts. If you stop there, it’s only grief.
But when you let yourself feel the loss, then set out to create something new (however small), that’s when your awareness starts to grow. You see more options, not fewer. You get a new sense of ownership in life, not as a victim, but as the architect of what’s next. You move from "Why me?" to "What now?" That’s the turning point.
The gap between vision and reality is just time and aligned action.
Pop Culture Example: Michael Jordan’s Retirement and Return
Development Insight: Visualization before manifestation becomes a spiritual practice.
Visualization isn't wishful thinking—it's how you tune into what's trying to emerge.
When Michael Jordan retired from the NBA for the first time, it shocked the world. He had lost his father—a deep emotional wound. For a while, he stepped away from basketball completely. But he didn’t just float. He tried a new challenge (baseball), mourned, reset his life, and then—on his terms—came back to reclaim his purpose. He paid the price in time, sweat, and starting over. By coming back and fully owning his story, Jordan showed what it looks like to take the pain of an ending and use it as the ground for something even bigger.
Remember when faced a moment when something you loved came to an end, and you had to start fresh? Did you just accept what others handed you, or did you step forward and build something of your own?
How Awareness Grows Through Endings
- You experience loss (Sarah’s death).
- You feel it fully (Abraham weeps).
- You ask yourself: What now? What’s my next right step?
- Others offer you easy ways out (free tomb), but you know true foundation takes real commitment.
- You act with clarity and ownership (paying for the land).
- You build something new right where the pain happened (burying Sarah in land that’s now yours forever).
Every decision you make in the face of loss expands your inner world. Instead of staying stuck in grief, or just doing what’s expected, you bring your awareness to the moment, feel what’s real, and step into your next chapter with open eyes. This is how awareness (what some call God, but can also simply be called “knowing what is real right now”) grows in you. You learn to create—not from fear or habit, but from conscious intent and full-hearted investment.
Strange but true: expectation improves reception. Expect more, receive more.
What’s Happening on the Inside: A Map for Everyone
Higher-level faith experiments involve trusting guidance even when it doesn't make logical sense.
- Abraham: The part of you that chooses, even in sorrow.
- Sarah: What you love, what you must sometimes let go of.
- Ephron and the people: The voices inside and outside that offer “just get by” help, but not what will really let you grow.
- The cave and the field: Your new ground—what you build after loss, truly your own.
- The silver: Your energy, your presence, your willingness to invest in your life, no matter the cost.
Every time a part of your old life ends, you can move into a new state—more aware, more grounded, more yourself—if you choose to pay attention, be present, and act with full commitment.
Try This: Building New Foundations
If you’re facing an ending—large or small—take a moment tonight.
- Let yourself feel what has ended—don’t rush past the pain or try to “move on” too soon.
- Ask: What small, honest action would show I’m ready for what’s next (even if it’s just cleaning your room, closing out a business account, or speaking honestly to your family)?
- Decide to do it, not as a favor to others or to look good, but because you want real ground under your feet. Your future is worth investing in.
Are there offers of help or shortcuts that don’t feel fully “yours”? What would paying the cost (in time, authenticity, or work) actually look like?
The Takeaway: Every Ending Makes Room for Something New
Genesis 23 isn’t just about funerals—it’s about how you meet loss with presence, honesty, and the courage to genuinely begin again. Whether you’ve lost a person, a goal, or an old way of life, the next right step is never to deny what hurts, but to make a new choice, on real ground, with your full awareness and whole heart.
That’s true progress as a human being, and it’s the mark of every great creative, entrepreneur, or anyone wanting more from life.
The same situation is prison to one, freedom to another. Relationship determines experience.
What’s Next: Genesis 24—A New Adventure Begins
Next chapter, Abraham will send someone on a new journey—to find what’s truly wanted, not just for himself, but for the next generation. You’ll see how conscious choices, honest commitments, and fresh beginnings all connect. Because with every ending, a new adventure really does begin—if you’re willing to step toward it, with eyes wide open.
