This morning I knocked a calendar off of my kitchen counter while tidying up. It’s one of those flip calendars and I realized instantly that I had not flipped the page in a long time. This thought from the DaySpring publication fell into view when I picked it up. “Your family needs a Joseph, a courier of grace in a day of anger and revenge.”
Hmmm.
I have read the stories of Joseph’s life many times. When the story comes full circle, Joseph’s heart is moved to tears because he’s found his father and brother are still alive after many years of separation. He has power and every reason to punish or exact revenge on his older brothers, but he acts with compassion instead. His desire for restoration is stronger than his desire for revenge.
While rolling this around in my head I thought about families today who have been separated by events of the past. The last couple of years have brought loneliness to many in a way they never imagined. Many families have become estranged from each other.
If ever a family member could have justified delivering revenge, it was Joseph. His brothers mocked him, deceived him, sold him into slavery, lied to their father saying he was dead and left Joseph alone and abandoned.
Yet, Joseph’s response was one of faith. Faith that God’s plan for his family included healing. Faith that restoring relationships held more gratification than satisfying resentment.
Today is a good day to consider being a Joseph for your own family. Start writing your own family’s story with a better ending than the one that’s currently playing out. It’s both an act of faith and obedience. Both are pleasing to God.
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