Learning to live this temporal life through the lens of eternity..."For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
"Our Three Tenors" outdid themselves...MY tenor made my heart race! Yep...he still has that effect on me. It never gets old...only better!
Here they are...Rusty Patterson, Mike Simmons and Tim Frazier.
There HE is...MY tenor...in the middle...oh, yeah!
The program held something for everyone...from opera to Broadway to country to rock 'n roll. They opened with "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's opera "Turandot", then moved on to Broadway show tunes closing the first half with the bring-down-the-house "Old Man River". Oh, my...it was goose-bumpy GOOD!!
In the second half the tenors took the stage looking like the consummate professionals...well...except for the sunglasses. When the music began the tenors broke out with "What I Like About You", an old 80's favorite by The Romantics. It was a foretaste of what was to come... a jammin' good time!!
The calm before the storm. "Hey! Uh-huh-huh!"
After busting their moves, the guys went back in time, donned letter-sweaters (that fit a little more snug than in high school...ha!!), and melted the crowd with "Put Your Head On My Shoulder". Rusty's falsetto, the tight harmonies, the tight sweaters...Wowzers!
From there Tim did a little George Benson, Rusty sprinkled some "Stardust" and Mike, for the first time in 27 years, sang to me..."The Nearness of You". Melted my heart, it did. He did the "Mayfield version"...he milked it. I loved it. I love him!!
"Sway" was next and it was a HIT! Rusty and Mike cha-cha-cha'd...even going into the crowd to dance with daughters (Molly, Rusty's daughter and Bethany, our daughter) on Saturday night. Bethany, being 8 months pregnant was not really feeling the cha-cha-cha...but, it was still a sweet moment. During Sunday's show Rusty danced with his other daughter, Maggie, and Mike danced with his mom. Sweet stuff...why didn't I have my camera at the ready?!?
The guys also got in touch with their Southern roots with a Rascal Flatts song, "Prayin' For Daylight", and closed the show with Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Changes Everything". Of course, the crowds at both shows did not want the tenors to stop singing! With shouts of "More! More!" they reprised "Old Man River" and brought the goose-bumps up once again. They are really good at that!
We were so thankful that all our chickadees were there...even one in the womb! Not mine...Bethany's. Hudson got to hear his grandfather sing for the first time. Bethany said he must love music because he was hopping around throughout the show. ...another tenor in the making, perhaps?
From top left: Josh and Meggie, Bethany and Peter
Loren and Jake were there...
So was Drew!
Here are some more pics...Enjoy!
One of the most talented people I know. Our director, Pam Thigpen...
definitely the brains behind this operation!
Many thanks to tech-guys Art Kimball (left) and David Brown (right)
for all their hard work during rehearsals and performances!
It was a privilege to play with such fine musicians!
Tim Hughes on trumpet, Cory Walker on saxophone,
Joe Littleton on bass, and Matt Dannell on drums...
It was a pleasure, folks! Let's do it again!
Not sure what Mike is saying...but, he best be super-nice
to their most-faithful groupie, Myra (aka Rusty's wife)!
She's THE BEST!
Again...not really sure what was being discussed...but,
this is a pretty good example of what rehearsals looked like... sing...laugh...laugh...laugh some more...sing a little...laugh...laugh...sing...
We were thankful that Mike's parents were able to come to the
Sunday show. Mike even twirled his momma around
during "Sway"...she LOVED it! Can't you see the twinkle in her eye?
The show is over. The lights are low. The crowds have gone home.
After I watched it I read comments people had made...one comment was, "very sad story, and what makes it even sadder is that he still believes there is a god :/ " That comment was such a reminder that faith is a gift from God...it is not of ourselves...therefore, we have no reason for boasting.
God has filled Zac Smith with amazing faith and such humility. God has given Zac Smith grace to believe that God is and that He is good...period. Not...God is good if... Not...God is good when... Not...God is good because...
Zac Smith's relationship with God flows from God to Zac...not from Zac to God...that is, Zac doesn't define God in his own finite mind...God defines Himself and offers Himself to Zac, who obviously trusts His goodness and sovereignty. That's why Zac can say with a heart full of faith..."God is God. God is good. To God be the glory."
Do you believe that God is God and that God is good...always?
I love to listen to Pandora during my work day. Today I chose my Fernando Ortega station and the first song to play was "Children of the Living God". It was a wonderful beginning to my day, as I was confronted with the choice to grumble and complain about not really wanting to be here, or serve with a cheerful, thankful heart because, once again, God has not given me what I deserve. Yet again, I am astonished by His mercy. May that astonishment never cease.
Join me in worshiping our great God and Father, who has adopted us and called us His own. "See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." (1 John 3:1a)
Here are the lyrics. If you want to listen to Mr. Ortega sing it...which I highly recommend...just go here and choose this title.
A few days ago I tackled a job that I avoid like the plague. I've never had one...but, I think it's safe to say that I would rather undergo a root canal than perform this task.
I cleaned the inside of our refrigerator.
It was GROSS! No...it was beyond gross. It was DISGUSTING! No...it was beyond disgusting. It was DESPICABLE! No...it was beyond despicable. It was...ARGH!!!!!GRRRR!!!!UGHHH!!!! (I'm growling from my gut with my arms straight by my side, hands balled into fists, body rigid and trembling...get the picture?)
It was one of those jobs that, once begun, grew and GrEw and GREW. As I took out the shelves to wash, I saw the drawers needed to be cleaned, and when I removed the drawers what was waiting underneath probably contained enough penicillin to cure the bubonic plague. I found sticky stuff...crumbly stuff...hard and fast stuff...petrified stuff...it was the biggest science experiment ever!
Once I completed the task...after much scraping, scrubbing, scouring...and scolding myself for procrastinating once again...I was spellbound by the pristine, spotless, unstained interior of said appliance. I really don't want to go grocery shopping because I don't want to mess it up! But, I don't think my sweet husband will go for that. For some reason, he likes to find more than milk and lemon juice when he opens the refrigerator door!
Warning: You might need your sunglasses to be able to look directly at this photo.
As I stood back and enjoyed the fruit of my labor...and shut the door only to open it again to gaze upon the beautiful white walls and glistening glass...three or four times (it doesn't take much to amuse me)...the thought crossed my mind, "Because of the cross, this is how God sees me."
Before God saved me, He couldn't even look on my heart because it was so tainted and marred by sin. And my sin is a lot like the stuff I scraped out of my refrigerator...crusty and petrified, sticky and smarmy...but, with no medicinal value. ...only death and destruction.
I'm reading a book, Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross, that is an anthology designed to "lead you into an experience of Christ's passion." It's a wonderful preparation as we approach Easter.
Today my reading was by Alistair Begg. It was about sinless Jesus being made sin on behalf of sinful me.
Ponder this...
"Jesus is our high priest, but what kind of priest is this who becomes the sacrifice? Priests offer sacrifices - but this priest is the sacrifice. This priest lays himself on the altar. You see, Jesus dies for sin - not for his own sin. He had no sin. He was in every sense made sin for us. He became all of our rebellion, all of our lying, all of our cheating, all of our adultery, all of our filth, all of our ugliness. He became all of that on the cross. Otherwise, how could God crucify his Son? It wasn't that Jesus simply stepped up and said, 'I'll do this for you.' It is that Jesus became the very embodiment of all that sin is...He was made sin for us - not that He was made a sinner for us - but made sin for us...
"And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in, That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin."
He goes to the garbage heap for all my garbage. He goes to the cross for all my rebellion, for all my filthy thoughts, all my selfish preoccupation, all my pride, all my self-aggrandizement.
"Bearing shame and scoffing rude In my place condemned He stood."
There is no story in all of human history like this. There is no notion in all religions of the world that comes close to touching this. This is imponderable, mysterious, majestic, glorious. This is all about God and the wonder of His grace...
When the lights come on for the disciples after the resurrection, they realize that in the cross Jesus was substituting Himself for us, changing places with us, taking the guilt of our sin to Himself, accepting divine judgment that is justly and rightly against us...
How can a just God pardon sinners? Only because all of our sin was transferred to Christ. This lays the ax at the roots of every religious person's endeavors to make himself acceptable to God by trying harder, attending more, praying more intensely - as if by some mechanism, we might be able to tip the scales in our favor.
God pardons sinners even though they have sinned and sinned and deserve only condemnation. And if He didn't, we would be forever excluded from His presence... Here's the gospel in a phrase. Because Christ died for us, those who trust Him may know that their guilt has been pardoned once and for all."
So...Jesus Christ became all the muck...all the crusty, petrified, sticky, smarmy muck in my heart and in exchange He has "according to His great mercy, caused [me] to be born again to a living hope..." (1 Peter 1:3)..."[given me] a new heart and put a new spirit in [me]; [He has removed] from [me my] heart of stone and [given me] a heart of flesh..." (Ezekiel 36:26) ..."rescued [me] from the dominion of darkness and brought [me] into the Kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom [I] have redemption, the forgiveness of sins..." (Colossians 1:13-14)
It served as such a good reminder...I think I'll be cleaning the ol' refrigerator a little more often!!
Twenty-seven years ago our lives changed dramatically. I became a mother. Sweet husband became a father. We became parents to a 10lb. 1oz. baby boy. (Ummm...OUCH!) We named him Joshua Michael. He captured our hearts instantly. He still does.
Joshua Michael Simmons born 03-18-83
10 lbs. 1 oz. 22 1/2 inches long
Affectionately called "Juicy Jaws" by the hospital nurses
Set-apart by God before the foundation of the world to serve Him...
love Him...glorify Him.
So...we ended the distillery tour and there was the neatest little path over a bridge that led us to downtown Lynchburg where we were absolutely delighted to spend the rest of our day.
The town square is quaint and filled with shops and cafes...all with the mark of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. Well...except the first stop we made..."The Tennessee Walking Horse Museum".
I have lived in Murfreesboro, TN two times in my life and one of the most anticipated events for residents there is the "Celebration"...a Tennessee Walking Horse National Competition. It is held in Shelbyville...close to Murfreesboro...and many, many people go to see these high-stepping thoroughbreds. How fun to meander through a museum dedicated to those beautiful animals!
The signage outside. I didn't want to forget we'd been there!
There were all sorts of ribbons, photos and trophies in the museum. Wow..those are beautiful animals!!
We struck up a conversation with the lady who was working in the museum and found out that she and her husband had started the museum nine years previously. It was a very special place to each of them. We were very sad to hear that her husband had passed away just six weeks prior to our visit. She said the only reason she was there was because he had made her promise to keep the museum open. So, in honor of him, she did. She had his wedding band on a necklace around her neck. The Bible verse from Ruth was engraved around it in Hebrew..."For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people will be my people and your God my God." Ruth 1:16 It was a nice departure from Jack Daniel's for a moment, no matter how brief...
Upon entering the museum we were greeted by a frisky, friendly little shitzu. She was gray and very small...but, she was ready to take on whomever or whatever entered the museum door. The owner explained to us that her veterinarian had given the little dog to her. Someone had dropped the little thing off at the vet's office and they determined that the puppy would help to sooth the loss of the museum owner's husband. So...she had little yippy Lulu to keep her company.
Here's Lulu. She really was so cute.
We bade the owner farewell and gave Lulu a pat on the head and we were off to explore the rest of lovely Lynchburg. Here's what we discovered:
Every store had the mark of Jack Daniel's...some more obvious than others.
The "presence" of the distillery was everywhere. There are warehouses that house the barrels of whiskey that overlook the town square. It's as if the god of whiskey is "watching". ...kinda spooky...
Lynchburg is a favorite stop for Harley Davidson riders. This being the first pretty Saturday in months...I didn't blame them one bit for getting out en-mass!! Nothing says, "Jack Daniel's" quite like a guy on a Harley with his lucious lovely riding behind him.
Everywhere we looked there was leather and chrome. I thought these "chaps" were especially eye-catching. I was thinking my sweet husband would look oh so enticing in a pair of these!! Hmmmm...Father's Day will be here before you know it!
As we contemplated lunch, we discussed our choices. We could visit the "Red Caboose Barbecue" place...supposedly "smack yo' mamma good" barbecue. Or we could venture into another little diner that I don't remember the name of (see?...I should've taken a pic of the signage!) and enjoy what the locals said was "the best hamburger in town". However, I'm very glad we both agreed that this was where we would dine...
The front of "Southern Perks". It was so cute...and no Jack Daniel's mark...we thought.
We walked in to peruse the menu and see if it was really where we wanted to eat lunch.
Isn't this a cute place? ...no leather...no chrome...no whiskey...
Upon seeing these, it was unanimous...this was our place!
Mmmmm...did these caramel cinnamon rolls ever look bee-ewe-tee-full!!! We didn't have one, but anyone who could make something this delectable could handle a couple of sandwiches!!
So...we sat down to look over the menu. There were salads...sandwiches...calzones...soups...paninis...
coffees...desserts (that looked just as yummy as the caramel cinnamon rolls!) My sweet husband chose "The Rebel" (oh, yeah...livin' life on the edge in Lynchburg!) which was a sandwich with cajun roast beef, smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and homemade horseradish sauce served on a 6" sub roll. I settled on a "Sicilian Calzone" (what can I say...I love anything reminiscent of Italy...) which was wonderful homemade pastry filled with chicken, fresh spinach, roasted red peppers, black olives, feta, garlic butter and Italian seasonings. (Go ahead and take a break to wipe the drool off your chin...I'll wait for you...)
Here's the menu...nothing fancy...but the food?...mmmm...mmm...mmmm!
"The Rebel"...love, love, love the homemade bread!!
Oh...be still my heart! Is that not just gorgeous? I was only able to eat half of my "Sicilian Calzone"...and was happy to box up the other half to save for lunch this week. Did I enjoy it? You betcha!!
As we were waiting for our food to be prepared (my calzone took longer because they rolled out the bread FRESH!!!) we enjoyed talking about our day...discussing what we'd seen thus far...and looking at art on the walls painted by local artists. I was thoroughly enjoying the whole "Southern Perks" experience when my eyes passed over this...
A clock advertising "Old No. 7"... the mark...but, it was kinda subtle...so, I didn't judge "the Perk" too harshly...
We had one more side of the town square to explore...so we made our way outside. It seemed as though the motorcycle convention had doubled in size, and I'm sure the store owners were none to sad about that!
The official souvenir store was on our final street to visit. It was located in what had originally been a hardware store that Jack Daniel's nephew, Lem Mottlow, had built when prohibition shut down the distillery for 30 years. Well...there wasn't a hammer nor nail to be found in this store...it was strictly Jack Daniel's merchandise...from refrigerator magnets to shot glasses...from t-shirts to pool tables with the whiskey label engraved in the felt. You could even buy a barrel for your very own...for a cool $850. OUCH!
This iron-man had been contemplating his move so long his opponent had given up and gone home. You can see a smattering of the memorabilia in the souvenir shop behind him.
With no more streets to explore, we consoled ourselves that although our day in Lynchburg was coming to a close we had "seized the day" and totally enjoyed every minute of it...together, thank You, Jesus!! ...and I still had half a calzone to enjoy when I got back home! (priorities people...priorities!)
It was a pleasure, Mr. Daniel, to visit your distillery and, Lynchburg citizens, your town. I think it's safe to say that our paths will cross again...
So...we closed the door on Excursion #1. I can't wait to see what's behind "Excursion #2"!! I'll take plenty of pics so y'all come back now...ya hear!?!
This is going to have to be done in two posts. Excursion #1 was FUN, FUN, FUN!!! Let's see if I can do it justice...
I was giddy with excitement Friday thinking about our first excursion on Saturday. My sweet hubby had planned the whole day...and he hadn't given me any clues. I had my marching orders..."Be ready to leave the house at 8:00AM." I suppressed my "...but, it's Saturday," whine and pondered instead how fun this surprise day was going to be.
I didn't make it by 8:00AM...but, about 8:30AM we left Brewer Street and headed to "the destination." We first went by Wal-Mart to purchase a beach towel for our son who was leaving for Florida the next day. I just knew that after Wal-Mart we would be making our way to Cracker Barrel where the day would begin with a Sunrise Sampler (hubby's favorite) and Mama's Pancake Breakfast (one of my favorites). That much of the trip I guessed correctly...sort of... We did go to Cracker Barrel after Wal-Mart...but, not in Athens. We ate our delicious breakfast in Ooltewah...a suburb of Chattanooga...about 45 minutes from our house. I was duped.
We scarfed down took our time enjoying our breakfast and then headed to the car for the second leg of the trip. Continuing towards Chattanooga, I thought to myself, "Maybe we're going to walk around the art district and Coolidge Park in Chattanooga..." But, that speculation was soon proven wrong as we sped past the "Downtown Chattanooga" exit and headed towards Nashville. Now I was really confused... and hubby was lovin' it.
Exit after exit after exit we stayed our course...to only hubby knew where. He said to me after about two hours of driving..."You know, we live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, East Tennessee, and we just don't take advantage of all the great things there are to do and places to see!" I said, "Hmmmm...I think we're in Middle Tennessee..." He said, "Yeah...it's only another four or five hours to Memphis..." Then burst out laughing...as did I. I love it when we laugh.
We approached the Manchester exit and...he took it. I took note of the three brown tourist attraction signs..."Tims Ford State Park," "Old Stone Fort State Park," and "Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery". I jokingly said, "Ha! The Jack Daniels Distillery?" He nodded and said, "Yep. That's it."
Talk about SURPRISED!!! I NEVER would've guessed the Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery!! NEVER!!! I must be honest...my heart sank ever so slightly. The Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery? Do I even like Jack Daniels? In all the many times we'd passed the signs for the Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery, had I ever expressed a burning desire to visit? Did I even remember that it was located in the same state we lived? No...no...and...no. But...I quickly told myself...the most important part of this excursion was that we were together. We were going to enjoy the day together. If that meant visiting the Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery...so be it!
I think hubby was slightly worried about my reaction when the surprise was finally revealed. He asked me a couple of times, "Are you disappointed?" I assured him I was not disappointed...very surprised and taken aback...but not disappointed. ...and I truly wasn't.
We arrived at the Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery about 30 minutes later. Wow!! What a BEAUTIFUL place!! Located in Lynchburg, TN (population 361) the distillery is the reason the town has survived. The amazing thing is...the distillery is located in a dry county. Yep. Every drop of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey sold world-wide is made in Lynchburg, TN and not one drop can be purchased there by its own citizens. Isn't that crazy?!?
We're here! Jack Daniel's Whiskey Distillery Visitor's Center
So...we arrived at the distillery around 11:30AM (CST). By noon we were on a free tour learning how Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey is made. It was fascinating. Here's what we learned:
I didn't get a photo of the first stop on the tour. They actually make their own charcoal, which the whiskey is later filtered through, out of sugar maple wood. Big piles of the wood are burned down and the charcoal is taken to be used in the "Mellowing" step. ...more on that later...
After seeing the stacks and stacks and stacks of wood, we walked a bit and came to what drew Jack Daniel to make his whiskey in this very spot. It was a big rock cavern with a fresh water spring running out of it. The spring actually continued a mile and a quarter back into the rock and flowed out crystal clear and is evidently the perfect ingredient for makin' whiskey. ...who knew? Jack Daniel did.
Here is the spring flowing out of the cavern. I was afraid the tour guide was going to encourage us to go into the cave...I would have been content to NOT!
After checking out the fresh water spring we gathered around a bronze statue of the man himself...Jack Daniel. He was a towering 5 foot 2 inches and wore a size 4 shoe. ...and he was quite the ladies man?
A life-sized bronze statue of Jack Daniel. ...just a little fella.
The original office of Jack Daniel was our next stop. It was a small white clapboard building with three little rooms. In the office was a safe that ended up being the demise of Mr. Daniel. One day Jack arrived at the office before his nephew, Lem Mottlow (his accountant), and tried to open the safe. He could not get the combination to work and grew more and more frustrated until he all-out kicked the safe with one of his feet. He kicked the safe so hard he broke his big toe on that foot. Being the manly-man that he was...he didn't seek any medical help and ended up with a severe limp. Several months later he had to have his foot amputated...then his leg from the knee...and finally his entire leg from the hip. Ultimately he died from gangrene poisoning...the result of getting angry and kicking the safe.
The original office of the Jack Daniel's Distillery.
The safe that Jack kicked that broke the toe that got gangrene that had to be amputated that ended the life that Jack lived.
We then traveled to the "Distilling" building. Huge vats of sour mash (made of corn, barley, and rye) were cooking and we had the privilege of seeing and smelling the boiling concoction. Let's just say I don't have any nose hairs left... No photos are allowed to be taken in any of the process buildings. ...don't worry...it wasn't very pretty...
After the sour mash cooks and the whiskey is drained off...it goes to through the "Mellowing" process. The whiskey is slowly...drop by drop...filtered through the charcoal I mentioned at the very beginning. It is this filtering process that distinguishes Tennessee whiskey from bourbon. If the whiskey is filtered once and bottled, it is their "black label" whiskey. But, if the whiskey is filtered twice, it earns the ultra-smooth "Gentleman Jack" label. Our tour guide told us if you tasted the whiskey before it was filtered it would "roll your socks down". After being filtered it is very smooth. We decided to take his word for it.
Again...not allowed to take photos of the process. But, here's the sign to the"Mellowing" building.
After the whiskey mellows, it is put in barrels to "ripen" for several years. The tour guide said they do not fill the barrels with whiskey. The barrels are "entrusted" with the whiskey. In fact, the barrels are such an integral part of the process that they make every barrel by hand at the distillery. When the whiskey is put into the barrels, it is a clear liquid. After spending several years in the barrels, with the wood contracting and expanding with the seasons, the whiskey comes out a beautiful amber color...all from being in the barrels.
Here is the sign to a barrel house. There are actually 13 big barrel warehouses in Moore County. Each warehouse contains thousands of gallons of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. The Master Distiller is the only taster of the product and he alone decides which barrels contain unique and smooth enough tasting whiskey to label "Single Barrel". As he tastes the whiskey, he marks those elite barrels with an "X".
Next we entered the "Bottling" building. At that site only the "Single Barrel" and "Gentleman Jack" bottles are hand labeled. The "Black Label" bottles are mass-produced at 140 bottles per minute with three lines running at once. Before going into the bottling room we stopped in the "Single Barrel Society" room. It has gold name plates on every wall of people who have purchased entire barrels of "Single Barrel" whiskey...the most elite and smooth whiskey as determined by the Master Distiller. I asked the tour guide how much a barrel costs. He said, "Around $10,000." That's definitely a society we won't be joining...
Only the most special whiskey gets bottled here..."Single Barrel" and "Gentleman Jack".
We were excited when the tour guide told us that we would be returning to the Visitor's Center where some refreshments would be waiting on us. We just knew we'd get to taste some of the whiskey... When we entered the room, there were tables and chairs for sitting, a large bar with mirrors all behind it (just like in the old westerns) and all the different kinds of Jack Daniel's whiskey lined up and a big black bar to which we could belly-up.
Imagine our surprise when our "refreshment" was lemonade! The distillery is in a dry county so there is no alcohol allowed to be served. In fact, the distillery is under operation by special permission from the government. All the Jack Daniel's whiskey in the world is made here in Lynchburg, TN...but, nobody in Lynchburg, TN can purchase it there. Are you serious?
Mike enjoyed his lemonade...
His face would've been even happier if this had been in his glass!
Our lemonade ended the tour. But, our excursion was far from over. Stay tuned for the rest of the story...
I've enjoyed reading a blog I discovered by a link on our daughter-in-law Meggie's blog. Meggie is Josh's wife. She's a sweet evidence of grace in our son's life...and a precious addition to our family.
Anyway...this blogger, Elizabeth Esther, does a "Saturday Evening Blog Post" where her readers can post the link to their favorite blog post from the previous month. It's a great way to meet new friends in the blogosphere...and introduce yourself! Check it out...
I don't know about you...but, I LOVE surprises! ...even though I drive my sweet husband CRAZY by trying to guess what surprises await.
But...not this week.
Last Saturday my sweet husband asked me to not plan anything for this coming Saturday because he was planning an "excursion". Doesn't that sound fun and mysterious?!
I have no clue where we're going...I have no clue what we'll be doing...I have no clue WHAT TO WEAR! Oh, my goodness!!
But...I'm not going to guess.
I'm going to savor the anticipation...of spending the whole day with my sweet husband.
The following article is from the Desiring God Ministries blog. It spoke to me as I often struggle with doubt, perseverance, faint-heartedness...even though God has demonstrated His steadfast love and unwavering faithfulness time after time after time. I love the story of Joseph...mainly because of his staunch trust in God's goodness and faithfulness being far more powerful than man's sinful lawlessness...ultimately displayed by the crushing of His Son on the cross. May my hope be built on nothing less...
"Staying Faithful When Things Get Worse" By: Jon Bloom
Genesis chapters 37-41 only tell the low and high points of Joseph’s Egyptian slavery and imprisonment. But he spent at least 12 years there before he suddenly became Prime Minister. And during that terribly lonely, desolate time, things seemed to go from bad to worse.
This imaginative reflection takes place about 9 years into his sojourn.
* * *
Darkness had swallowed the light again. Joseph dreaded the night in this foul Egyptian hellhole. It was hard to fight off the relentless hopelessness as he awaited the escape of sleep.
Day after monotonous day passed with no sign of change. The familiar desperation surged hot in his chest. His youth was seeping out the cracks of his cage. He was pacing in his soul. Joseph wanted to scream.
Fists to his forehead he pleaded again with God in the dark for deliverance.
And he remembered. It was the remembering that kept his hope alive and bitterness at bay.
He rehearsed the stories of God that had filled him with awe as a child. God had promised Great-grandfather, Abraham, a child by his barren wife. But he made them wait an agonizing 25 years before giving them Grandfather Isaac. And God had promised Grandmother Rebekah that her older twin, Uncle Esau, would serve the younger twin, Father Jacob. But God had mysteriously woven human deception and immorality into his plan to make that happen.
Jacob’s smile filled Joseph’s mind. O Father. He covered his mouth to choke back his sobs. It had been 9 years since he last saw that dear face. Would he ever again? Was Father still alive?
He felt something crawl across his leg. Leaping up, he brushed himself off. He shook out the mat. A shiver ran down his spine. Joseph hated spiders.
Laying back down he remembered how Father Jacob had been caught in his Uncle Laban’s manipulative web for 20 long years. Yet God was faithful to his word and eventually delivered Jacob and brought him back to the Promised Land a wealthy man.
And then there were those strange dreams. They had been unusually powerful, unlike any others before or since. He felt ambivalent about them. They likely were the reason he was now in Egypt. His brothers’ envy of his father’s favor turned homicidal when he inferred that he had God’s favor as well.
Distant screams let Joseph know another fight had broken out in the barracks. It made him grateful for his private cell, the favor bestowed on the chief scribe to the warden.
He smiled at the irony of this “favor.” His brothers would love this if they knew. He seemed about as far away from what those dreams foretold as he could be.
Yet, as foolish as it seemed right now, Joseph could not shake the deep conviction that God meant to bring those dreams to pass. And he could not deny the strange pattern he saw in God’s dealings with his forebears. God made stunning promises and then ordained time and circumstances to work in such ways as to make the promises seem impossible to fulfill. And then God moved.
The common thread Joseph traced through all the stories, the one thing God seemed to honor and bless more than anything else, was faith. Abraham trusted God’s word. Isaac trusted God’s word. Rebekah trusted God’s word. Jacob trusted God’s word. All of them ultimately saw God’s faithfulness to his promises, despite circumstances and their own failings.
Faith-fueled peace doused the anxious fire in Joseph’s chest. “I trust you, my God,” he whispered. “Like my forefathers, I will wait for you. I have no idea what my being in an Egyptian prison has to do with your purposes. But I will keep honoring you here where you have placed me. Bring your word to pass as it seems best to you. I am yours. Use me!”
* * *
In the biblical account it’s tempting to only see Joseph’s heroic character and achievements. But God does not want us to miss the largely silent, desperate years Joseph endured.
Imagine the pain of his brothers’ betrayal, the separation from his father, the horror of slavery, the seduction and false accusation by Potiphar’s wife, and the desperation he felt as his youth passed away in prison.
Sometimes faithfulness to God and his word sets us on a course where circumstances get worse, not better. It is then that knowing God’s promises and his ways are crucial. Faith in God’s future grace for us is what sustains us in those desperate moments.
We all love the fairytale ending of Joseph’s story. And we should, because Joseph’s life is a foreshadowing of a heavenly reality. God sent his Son to die and be raised in order to set his children “free indeed” (John 8:36). There is coming a day when those who are faithful, even to death (Revelation 2:10) will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).
Our current circumstances, however dismal or successful, are not our story’s end. They are chapters in a much larger story that really does have a happily ever after.
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