Waking Up in a New Place: Big Dreams, Big Fears
You prepared for years. Got the degree, built the skills, made the connections. Then they gave the opportunity to someone else.
Genesis 28 is about one of these big turning points. It’s about what happens inside you when you leave your comfort zone, listen to a new dream, and begin to realize there’s more to life than you thought. It’s about how you can find guidance, confidence, and even a sense of “home” right when things seem most uncertain. This isn’t just Jacob’s story—this story lives inside you, especially when you’re chasing a goal but feel afraid, lost, or deeply alone.
You're both the seeker and what's being sought. God is the seeking itself.
What Actually Happens in Genesis 28?
Here’s the stage: Jacob is leaving home. He’s just had a huge fight with his brother Esau and is escaping to avoid more trouble. His parents send him to his uncle Laban’s house, far from everything he knows. He’s alone, out in the wild, with only a rock for a pillow—no parents, no comfort, no idea how things will turn out. In that lonely place, he has a life-changing dream.
“Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. … He lay down in that place to sleep. He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” (Genesis 28:10-12 WEB)
If you’ve ever felt like you’re in-between—one chapter closed, but the next hasn’t started—this is your chapter.
Key Details About This Chapter
Living in relationship with this awareness means giving every situation space to transform beyond your limited expectations.
- Jacob is on a journey, alone, afraid, running from a mistake.
- He has nothing familiar with him—just himself and his thoughts.
- He dreams of a stairway connecting earth and heaven, with messengers moving up and down.
- God speaks to him there, promising support, protection, and a bright future.
- Jacob wakes up amazed, calling the place “the house of God”—and promises to keep going with faith.
Breaking Down the Chapter: The Outer Story and the Inner Story
On the outside, Genesis 28 is a travel story. But on the inside, it is about what happens in your awareness when you step into the unknown—how you can notice guidance, make empowering choices, and create new meaning from your challenges. Every character and event in this chapter is really a part of you.
Let’s walk through it, step by step.
1. Leaving Home: The False Sense of Safety
Master-level seeing means visualizing not just what you want, but how it serves the larger good.
Think of Daniel, whose layoff forced him to discover the consulting business he'd always dreamed about.
“Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, ‘You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Go to Paddan Aram…’” (v.1-2 WEB)
Most of us, at some point, find comfort in routines and familiar people. But staying “safe” forever stops us from growing. Awareness grows when you have to go somewhere new or stretch yourself. If you’re an entrepreneur, this is like the day you leave your steady job to build something of your own. If you’re a young artist, this might be saying yes to your first big performance, even if you’re shaky. You have to let go of your old life to get to the life you truly want.
- Jacob’s “home” stands for your old beliefs and patterns that feel secure, but limit your possibilities.
- Leaving home is choosing growth over comfort—stepping into the unknown, because staying put is no longer an option.
Ask yourself: Is there an area of life where you’ve been holding back because it’s familiar, even if it isn’t fulfilling? What “home” might you need to leave in order to grow?
2. Alone and Uncertain: The Wilderness Moment
You're not just testing if God answers—you're testing how deeply you can learn to receive and follow.
“He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.” (v.11 WEB)
Jacob finds himself utterly alone. For many, this is the scariest step—when you feel like you have nothing to lean on. Maybe your business isn’t making money yet, your relationships feel distant, or you don’t know what comes next. This is not a punishment—it's a pause.
That moment when you realize. Like Abraham learned
- The stone under Jacob’s head is the hard reality we sometimes face. It’s life stripped down to just you and your thoughts.
- In these moments, what’s really happening is your awareness getting quiet. The busy world fades, and you’re left with space to notice something deeper inside.
When was the last time you had to sit with uncomfortable feelings? Did you notice new ideas or emotions come up when everything else got still?
3. The Dream: Connection and Promise
“He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Behold, the Lord stood above it…” (v.12-13 WEB)
Now comes the turning point: the dream. But this isn’t just sleep—it’s the opening of awareness. When you are still enough (because you’ve left comfort and are facing what scares you), you can sense new possibilities. The stairway is the opening between your ordinary thoughts (earth) and your higher, wiser awareness (heaven).
- The angels going up and down are the flow of ideas, feelings, hopes and fears—all moving between your daily worries and your biggest dreams.
- “God” at the top of the stairway is your connection to greater possibilities—the source of new insights, courage, and healing.
This is the moment every creator, entrepreneur, and seeker lives for: when something you never considered before pops into your mind like a cup. It may be an idea for a new business, the answer to a personal pain, or simply an inner sense of “I am not alone here. There is help and hope.”
Pop culture reference: Think of the creators of WD-40 (which took 40 attempts), the football quarterback. In his tough early years, people doubted his talents. He often spoke about moments in the locker room, sitting alone and feeling lost, but still praying and listening for direction. That quiet, open space—feeling uncertain, then receiving inner encouragement or a fresh dream—is a real-world “Jacob’s ladder” moment.
What you see for others, you activate in the field. See their highest.
Think about the last time had inspiration or comfort come to you when you stopped trying so hard to fix things and just listened?
4. The Promise: Getting What You Need Before Getting What You Want
“Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you of.” (v.15 WEB)
Here, Jacob hears a promise—not of instant success, but of ongoing support. This is awareness showing you that even in your hardest moments, you have everything you need to make it through. First, you’re told you are safe and guided. Second, you hear that you will come “home” stronger, with more to offer.
- This promise means you’re not alone in your big dreams and tough moments.
- It also means your desires matter: what you want for yourself is possible, once you move through your challenges and keep trusting life.
It’s just like a business founder realizing her biggest asset isn’t her product or funding—it’s her willingness to keep going, knowing support will appear with each right step.
Can you remember a time when you trusted your next step before you had proof of success? How did that shape what happened next?
5. Realization: “This Place Is Holy After All”
“Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I didn’t know it.’ … He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.” (v.16, 19 WEB)
When Jacob wakes up, he understands—what felt like a random, fearful place is actually “holy.” It only seemed dark until he paid attention. The outside hasn’t changed, but inside, Jacob is no longer scared or lost. He feels connected and hopeful. He gives the place a new name: Bethel (“house of God”).
What seemed miraculous is now Tuesday. That's the power of practice.
- This moment is about recognizing the value in your setbacks and discomfort. When you become aware, challenges turn into breakthroughs.
- Giving the place a new name is you seeing that your story can change meaning at any moment, just by how you notice it.
Think back: We all know that feeling when looked back on a tough situation and realized it helped you become stronger, braver, or more creative?
6. Commitment: The Return to Purpose
“Jacob vowed a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go … and I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord will be my God…’” (v.20-21 WEB)
Jacob doesn’t just have a big feeling and move on. He makes a decision: If he can trust this inner guidance, he’ll dedicate his journey to it. This is the step every entrepreneur or creative must take—not just dreaming, but choosing to follow inner truth, even when things get tough.
- This is where you take responsibility for the future, instead of waiting for someone else to fix it. You own your next step.
Are you willing to commit to your path, even if you still have doubts? What is one thing you could do today to prove you’re serious about your purpose?
Simple Steps to Practice Right Now
- Notice where you might be “leaving home”—stepping out of comfort, even if it’s hard.
- Next time you feel lost or alone, pause. Let yourself be silent and notice what ideas, feelings, or small “messages” come up.
- Name your most recent challenge as a “turning point” instead of a setback. Write down what you learned about yourself in that moment.
- Decide one small step to take, committing to your bigger purpose—even if you’re still scared.
Try this tonight: When you’re about to fall asleep, pause for a moment and ask, “Is there a message or feeling I need to notice about where my life is going?” Listen quietly, without forcing. Write down whatever comes to you, even if it seems random.
What’s Next?
In the next chapter, Jacob starts living out this new awareness—meeting unexpected challenges, people, and opportunities as his adventure grows. We’ll see how discoveries on the “inside” help him, and you, face what’s happening outside, and how every choice you make shapes your path back “home”—even when it doesn’t look like what you expect.
The relationship principle works because everything is relationship.
Until then, remember: Even when you feel lost, you are always just one moment of awareness away from your next breakthrough.
