Face your troubles instead of running away from them

"It's time for you to go back."

- Exodus 3:10 (MSG)

Have you ever said to yourself or someone else, "I feel like running away?"

My friends and I have thought or felt like it at times. When problems are mounting and life seems too much to bear, you feel like you want to escape.

I think, at times, we'd all love to run from difficult situations. I enjoy reading and learning from Bible stories, because those men and women weren't any different from us.

One of my favorite stories is about Moses. It's not the drama of God parting the Red Sea for Moses that fascinates me, although, I have to admit, Hollywood movies have sure captured the essence of that spectacular miracle as the Israelites walked between the flowing walls of water.

Instead, I'm fascinated how God directed Moses' life. Moses ran from Egypt because something happened there that was too hard for him to face. When he encountered some violence while trying to free a slave, instead of staying and working things through, he ran away.

After spending a stretch of time in a new countryside with a different profession of tending sheep, one day he noticed a bush burning on a nearby mountaintop.

When he climbed the mountainside for a closer look, he had an encounter with God. Much to his surprise, God informed Moses that He was sending him back to Egypt to solve some problems that remained unresolved.

There are times we need to just move on in life. Other times there's nothing we can do. However, there are times that we run away from difficult situations. When we do that, we can't learn or grow from them. Anything we run away from in fear has power over us. Chances are, we will face the same problem until we face our fears and conquer them.

Sometimes the issues are small things we need to learn that will equip us to move forward. Other times, they may be something more serious, like in Moses' case. Either way, before we head in the other direction, we should ask ourselves if there is anything we are running from that instead might be resolved. If so, then we should seek God in prayer to help us find the solution.

Sometimes staying and facing our obstacles teaches us how to fulfill our dreams.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. Contact Annettee by email Annetteebudzban@aol.com or calling (847) 543-8413.