It can take ten thousand years for the light from the most distant stars in our galaxy to reach us.
And if the speed of light can be so slow, if its story unravels so glacially, why are we astonished when we fail to immediately understand the story of our lives?
* * *
Joseph, in the well, abandoned, betrayed.
All his dreams of glory—had come to this.
It seemed utterly meaningless–because the next chapter had not yet to be written.
* * *
Joseph in charge of Potiphar’s household.
The shepherd boy becomes the head butler in an Egyptian country house.
Was that the meaning of the well, and the humiliations of slavery at the hands of the hairy Ishmaelites?
Only part of it. The story was still being written. He was a character in a story someone else was writing. How could he understand his own story in medias res?
* * *
The dungeon, punishment for righteousness.
“But, Lord, I thought I understood the plot you were writing. Now WHAT are you doing?”
Utterly forsaken.
* * *
But the dungeon was the way for the butler of a small manor to meet royalty.
Again, God blessed Joseph. Again, he rose to the top. And once again, apparent failure and humiliation were the means of Joseph’s elevation to an entirely different social, economic and political circle.
Let no one underestimate the creativity of the Master Craftsman of the Universe.
* * *
We cannot understand the story of our lives while we are living them.
We do not understand the significance of each plot element yet. They seem random, inexplicable, and cruel. It takes the retrospective glance to understand.
* * *
And my story? It has foolishness in it, ah so much—money and opportunity and years and talents squandered.
It has sin in it, my sin, and sins against me. It has apparent dead ends, missed opportunities, wastage, stupidity and heartbreak.
* * *
And because a master artist is still working on it, still writing it, it has gold in it, infinite possibilities for redemption.
I do not yet know how God will weave all the plot elements together into an eternal beautiful story, and make it all the apparent red herrings and random plot twists work out for good, but I know he will. He’s that smart.
And I trust him.