Missing Socks
We all know that our washer or dryer has an appetite. Somewhere in the laundry process, one sock is eaten. It is a mystery: how does this happen? How do I end up with three single lonely socks, missing their mate?
Last night I was participating in a ministry my church has for the less fortunate. We are running a pilot program to help equip these precious ones with skills, resources and more than anything, confidence, to keep moving. Restoring their hope by strengthening their hearts: we really have only one thing to give them - Jesus!
Last night we focused on the Biblical character of Joseph. I love Joseph. As I sat in the back of the room listening to the lesson, my brain started down its own trail of thought over Joseph. Never, not once, do we see Joseph carrying a victim mentality. Granted, we are not given privy to the thoughts inside of Joseph, we are simply given the narrative. We read over and over, he crashed into some pretty unfortunate circumstances. He was hated by his brothers, he was sold into slavery, he was falsely accused of molesting his boss's wife, he was thrown in jail, he was forgotten. Those are some pretty bad circumstances. Yet, we also read, "but God had favor on Joseph..."
Faith fleshed out in the worst of circumstances. Faith wins; refining and gloriously winning! We know the end of the story, we know Joseph gave God glory, assuring his brothers,
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people."
One thing that endures Joseph to my heart is to see how often he was so touched, he wept. I love, love, love this about Joseph. Why? Because it shows us that Joseph's heart was soft and tender! After all the cruel, unfortunate, unfair, and wicked things that happened to Joseph, we see his heart remained, (maybe became?) so tender that he wept when he saw God's beautiful plan unfolding. Upon seeing his brothers (what! He should have a hateful hard heart to the ones who had wanted to kill him), he wept; when they feared he would take revenge on them after their father died, he wept again! Only a man whose heart is full of faith can remain soft and tender through such trials.
Oh Lord, May that be the case with my heart...
So what does missing socks have to do with all this? Well, I am seeing that life sometimes serves us up with mysterious situations. They just don't make since, things seem to be ill-fit, mis-matched, lost, come out wrong and we don't really understand why it happened, what will happen or what to do about it.
But God... does. "....but God intended it all for good."
May my heart continue to hold true to what I see with faith and not be dismantled because my eyes do not see it or my mind cannot make since of it. As I walk this journey of faith, I pray my wobbly knees are strengthened to trust deeper, that the wounds of my soul yield to His healing balm to become soft and tender, not hard and brittle. Joseph's story reminds me that God has a greater perspective, a higher view and a beautiful, glorious plan. He is over all. of. it.
Last night I was participating in a ministry my church has for the less fortunate. We are running a pilot program to help equip these precious ones with skills, resources and more than anything, confidence, to keep moving. Restoring their hope by strengthening their hearts: we really have only one thing to give them - Jesus!
Last night we focused on the Biblical character of Joseph. I love Joseph. As I sat in the back of the room listening to the lesson, my brain started down its own trail of thought over Joseph. Never, not once, do we see Joseph carrying a victim mentality. Granted, we are not given privy to the thoughts inside of Joseph, we are simply given the narrative. We read over and over, he crashed into some pretty unfortunate circumstances. He was hated by his brothers, he was sold into slavery, he was falsely accused of molesting his boss's wife, he was thrown in jail, he was forgotten. Those are some pretty bad circumstances. Yet, we also read, "but God had favor on Joseph..."
Faith fleshed out in the worst of circumstances. Faith wins; refining and gloriously winning! We know the end of the story, we know Joseph gave God glory, assuring his brothers,
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people."
One thing that endures Joseph to my heart is to see how often he was so touched, he wept. I love, love, love this about Joseph. Why? Because it shows us that Joseph's heart was soft and tender! After all the cruel, unfortunate, unfair, and wicked things that happened to Joseph, we see his heart remained, (maybe became?) so tender that he wept when he saw God's beautiful plan unfolding. Upon seeing his brothers (what! He should have a hateful hard heart to the ones who had wanted to kill him), he wept; when they feared he would take revenge on them after their father died, he wept again! Only a man whose heart is full of faith can remain soft and tender through such trials.
Oh Lord, May that be the case with my heart...
So what does missing socks have to do with all this? Well, I am seeing that life sometimes serves us up with mysterious situations. They just don't make since, things seem to be ill-fit, mis-matched, lost, come out wrong and we don't really understand why it happened, what will happen or what to do about it.
But God... does. "....but God intended it all for good."
May my heart continue to hold true to what I see with faith and not be dismantled because my eyes do not see it or my mind cannot make since of it. As I walk this journey of faith, I pray my wobbly knees are strengthened to trust deeper, that the wounds of my soul yield to His healing balm to become soft and tender, not hard and brittle. Joseph's story reminds me that God has a greater perspective, a higher view and a beautiful, glorious plan. He is over all. of. it.
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