An Unexpected Shock!

          

God often visits his people at inopportune times, and not necessarily with pleasant surprises. His visit may shake us loose from the predictable patterns of everyday life. We thrive on predictability, which gives us a sense of being well anchored. When something out of the ordinary is interjected into our well-ordered lives, adjustments are usually required.

By the time of Joseph’s thirty-ninth birthday, he had been governor of Egypt for nine years. Egypt was experiencing a severe drought, but Joseph had prepared the nation by storing up grain to sustain the people for seven years. An unanticipated event was about to occur. However, God seldom advertises an up-coming event.

I wonder how Joseph's brothers had dealt with selling him into slavery? Because their hatred for him was so intense, they probably had felt relief and good riddance. However, God does not forget and will disrupt well-ordered lives to create opportunities for reconciliation, forgiveness and hope for new beginnings. Are you ready?   

___________________________

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

~James 1:2-3 New Living Translation

Trust in Change to Bring Improvement - Part 2

One main component of conflict is unmet expectations that result in disappointment. As a college freshman, a promising athlete had high hopes of playing sports, but a serious injury kept him benched. As he improved, he fully expected to be allowed to play, but the coach refused. Anger and depression followed the disappointment.

The conflict he experienced with the coach became unbearable because his primary reason for attending college was to play sports. Bitterly disillusioned, he dropped out of college. Coincidentally, a friend later asked him to go to the driving range and hit some golf balls. Here he discovered he had a knack for driving the ball.

During the pain of disappointment and failure, this young man found an inroad for change that helped him let go of bitterness caused by unmet expectations. God in his mercy gave him a way to find direction, meaning and purpose in life. Jesus assures us he is the way, the truth, and the life. In Jesus, there is hope and light. He heals the heartbroken.  

Trust in Change to Bring Improvement - Part 1

Conflict resolution requires each person to be open-minded to new ideas and possibilities. Otherwise, people stay fixated in the same old rut because there is no other option. However, there are times when inroads to resolution of conflict come unexpectedly. A young woman felt obligated to ask her husband for a decision on each problem she faced.

Then his job abruptly required that he be away from home several days each week which meant she had to make independent choices. Although feeling insecure, she was forced to explore the unfamiliar territory of independent decision making while he was gone. This change forced the couple to begin trusting each other.

Surprisingly, this couple’s relationship improved dramatically as each became more trusting and confident. Where unhealthy relationships exist because of conflict, God faithfully sends chances to make inroads for change. He expects us to be alert and willing to change unhealthy behavior and trust his leadership for those changes.