I find the story of Joseph to be one of the most incredible throughout the Bible. There are so many different parts of the story that can lead to valuable lessons. The fact that Jacob deceived his father Isaac to receive an inheritance is followed by the ‘price’ of losing his son Joseph. This leads to the question of whether the sins of the parent are visited on their children. The fact that Joseph exploited the favoritism exhibited by Jacob is followed by his being sold into slavery in Egypt. The fact that Joseph rises to such a level of prominence in Egypt is followed by the opportunity to save the entire nation. The fact that Judah led the call to sell Joseph is followed by his being willing to accept sole responsibility for the safe return of Benjamin.   

Some of you may see my name above and wonder who is this guy. I am relatively new in my role as Missions Director at Hope but I see many parallels between Joseph’s story and my own. The route I took to get to this position could be viewed by some as coincidental, but after reading this Genesis story we all know that there are no accidents. Prior to this, I was a banker and a high school math teacher. Clearly, it is a natural progression to move on to Missions Director, right? After losing my wife of 23 years I was possibly ready to stop working and focus on our three kids. However, after consulting with a friend I knew I wasn’t ready for retirement and this opportunity presented itself. Amazing!!! This is the one place I would go and not even consider it work! As I think about all of the amazing things God has done through this congregation and now consider that I am a part of this going forward, I am in awe.   

Questions for reflection:

  1. Is there something you have been praying about? Could God have a bigger plan than what you might initially see? 
  2. Consider a case where someone has done harm to you? How could this action in fact be part of a larger plan for good? 
  3. Where does your story begin? Think of the different events and circumstances that have led you to where you are today and contemplate all of the variables that had to line up to put you in this position.