Like Abraham: When God Calls You Out

Sis, let me be real with you for a second. Have you ever read the story of Abraham — how God told him, “Pack it up, leave your land, your people, and go to a place I’ll show you” — and thought, What in the world was that man feeling?

Because, baby, I think I’m living it.

Abraham and the Two-Suitcase Limit

Here’s the scene. God speaks, and Abraham starts packing. Only he doesn’t have Samsonite luggage and TSA-approved locks. He’s got camels and sacks, and he’s probably side-eyeing Sarah like, “Girl, you sure we heard God right?”

That’s me and my husband right now. Except instead of camels, it’s Delta Airlines. And instead of livestock, it’s us staring at our closets, realizing we’ve got to fit decades of life into two or three suitcases. Between the two of us.

Do you know the mental gymnastics it takes to look at your favorite pair of shoes and say, “Sorry, sis, you didn’t make the cut”? Let me tell you — it’s not easy.

Liquidating everything is not for the faint of heart. Selling furniture you once dreamed of. Donating clothes you swore you’d wear again. Letting go of knick-knacks that carry stories only you remember. And all the while, hot flashes sneaking up on you like, “Surprise, let’s add sweat to your stress.”

It’s bittersweet, but it’s also liberating. Because when God says, “Go,” He also says, “Trust Me.”

Unboxing More Than Boxes

Here’s the deeper part. This isn’t just about moving to Mexico. It’s about unboxing my soul.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t just packing up clothes and kitchenware. I was unpacking my thoughts, my beliefs, my old religious habits. I was starting to ask, “What is God truly saying past the noise of man?”

You know what I mean — the opinions, the traditions, the “this is how we’ve always done it” crowd. Religion can get loud. People can get loud. But when God whispers, you start to realize that maybe He’s been speaking the whole time, waiting for you to quiet the noise.

That’s where I am. Unpacking old fears. Letting go of “shoulds” and “musts” that people placed on me. Trusting that God’s voice is bigger than the peanut gallery’s commentary.

And let me just say, sis, the peanut gallery always has something to say.

Finding Myself in the Move

So many moving parts. Selling a car. Renting out or selling a home. Closing accounts. Saying goodbye to Target runs and Chick-fil-A lemonade. Switching from Amazon Prime two-day shipping to “whenever it gets here, it gets here.” It’s a lot.

But in the middle of all that chaos, I’m finding myself.

Because stripping down to the essentials forces you to ask: who am I without all the stuff? Who am I when I’m not on staff at a church? Who am I when I don’t have a garage full of storage bins and a closet full of “someday outfits”?

And you know what? I’m finding that I like the woman I’m meeting. She’s freer. She’s lighter. She’s laughing more. She’s open to what God has next.

The Humor in It

Now you know I can’t share this without giving you the funny side.

Imagine me and my husband sitting on the floor with piles of clothes around us. He’s folding neatly. I’m throwing things in piles, saying, “Do I really need this? No. But do I want it? Yes. But will it fit? Probably not. But can I squeeze it? Maybe.”

Then I look at him and say, “Babe, do you think Abraham had to pick which sandals made the cut? Like, did Sarah get to bring three tunics or just one?”

He didn’t laugh as hard as I thought he would. Probably because I was having a mini breakdown over a purse I haven’t used in three years.

Ladies, moving makes you crazy. But crazy in a way that reveals what you’ve been holding on to way too tightly.

Lessons from Abraham (and From My Suitcases)

Here’s what I’m learning, and maybe it’ll bless you if you’re in a season of transition yourself:

1. Obedience comes before the map.
   God didn’t hand Abraham GPS coordinates. He said, “Go, and I’ll show you.” Sometimes you’ve got to step without knowing every detail.
2. Lighten the load.
   Abraham didn’t pack U-Hauls. He took what was essential. Same with us — in moving, in midlife, in menopause. Some stuff is just too heavy for the next season.
3. Let go of other people’s noise.
   If Abraham had waited for everybody’s approval, he’d still be standing in Ur, explaining himself to cousins. You can’t take the peanut gallery on your faith journey.
4. Find God in the unfamiliar.
   Transition isn’t punishment — it’s invitation. An invitation to discover God in ways you never would’ve if you stayed comfortable.
5. Laugh in the process.
   Because if you can’t laugh at yourself when you’re arguing with a suitcase zipper, then the stress will swallow you whole.

For My Sisters in Transition

You may not be moving across borders, but I bet you’re moving through something. Divorce. Empty nest. A health diagnosis. A career change. A body that doesn’t feel like your own anymore.

It’s all transition. It’s all unboxing.

And if Abraham teaches us anything, it’s this: when God calls you out, He doesn’t call you to shame, to lack, or to confusion. He calls you to growth. To expansion. To freedom.

Closing Thoughts

So here I am, packing suitcases and unboxing my soul. Scared? Yep. Excited? Definitely. A little sweaty from these hot flashes? Always.

But through it all, I know this: I’m not just moving to Mexico. I’m moving into the next version of me. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what God’s been waiting on the whole time.

So if you’re in your own Abraham moment — standing at the edge of the unknown — take a breath. Lighten your load. Listen past the noise. And trust that on the other side of obedience is the life you didn’t even know you were longing for.

Hot Flashes & Cold Truths with Antoinette McCormick
Because sometimes the biggest unboxing is the one happening inside of you.

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