Joseph

Joseph. For the past three weekends we have shared his story and it is an exciting story. We pray before we head out to the church groups and I always feel God’s blessing as I tell the story, being able to adapt and change with listeners reactions learning more of God's character of love. With Joseph, it seemed that the story was not connecting. Part seemed to be that the story or at least the names were perhaps too familiar. Part because it is long. Or maybe parts of the story were just too foreign. I remembered back to reading the story at office morning worships and that staff also didn’t seem impressed by the story. What was the challenge?

Well, as i prepared this week i pondered what to do and the idea came to tell the story from Potipher’s perspective. And after the two times yesterday morning and afternoon, I know that was a God inspired idea as the story connected. Instead of focusing on the poor boy and all the bad things that happened to him, looking through the eyes of a powerful man at what makes his servant such a strong worker seemed to light up eyes. Or not, perhaps it was my looking through the eyes of a manager, seeing what seemed important to other people, how the life of one living as a witness for our Creator looks different than a life of one who doesn’t serve our Creator God, yet.

Or, maybe it was by removing my focus from the poor mistreated boy to the one observing the successful boy and learning what a difference the One God. Instead of focusing on poor me and nursing bitter feelings in my heart because I have felt that things in life haven’t been fair, i need to think of the broader picture. It’s not that Joseph never felt angry or betrayed, but he didn’t act on what he felt, he acted with the strength of God’s power as he knew he should and sometimes, at least eventually, he saw God's plan through it all. As I told the story I felt the conviction that I needed to change. It’s not just Joseph (or Esther) who God leads into strange circumstances to prepare “for such a time as this,” it is us today. God accepts me with my questions, feelings and whys, but He asks me to do the best that I can with what He gives me each day and to trust.

So, as i spoke of Joseph and Potipher, i changed. God changed my focus and i think that's what the listeners heard and connected with.