March 5, 2019

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your words of encouragement in the card you sent.  The book you’re reading sounds like a good one; I will add those lessons to others that I continue to internalize.

Much in our life (including all of those GIFT group discussions, fellowship, and playdates) helped strength our family’s faith and prepare us for the trials of Anna’s experiences with cancer.  Since the events of 2014, we have had opportunities to refine our theology to give us the words to say when questions arise.

But, even if those words come easily to our heads, the reality of life is still hard on our hearts.  Encouragement along this part of life’s journey is much appreciated.  Thank you.

More than once in the last few months, I have come across devotions that include references to Joseph, specifically his perspective on his life during his last days on earth.  The verse that has most struck me is Genesis 50:20, when Joseph is with his brothers after the death of their father, Jacob.  His brothers are worried, again, that Joseph will seek retribution for their earlier acts of hatred.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” 

The verb Jacob uses is “meant” which is related to the Hebrew verb “weave”.  In essence, Joseph is saying “You wove evil, but God rewove it together for good.”  (I got that tidbit from a book by Max Lucado called God Will Carry You Through.)

I find it amazing that God was able to take Joseph’s brothers despicable actions, with the most evil intentions behind them, and bring something good out of it.   I have come to learn that God can bring good things even through the hardships of this life, but it has been enlightening to see that God was “reweaving” Satan’s influence on this world in the beginnings of the Bible as well.

Max Lucado even went as far as saying that we are some of the “many people” who were preserved.  “Satan’s logic was sinister and simple: destroy the family of Abraham and thereby destroy his seed, Jesus Christ.  All of hell, it seems, set its target on Jacob’s boys.”  Yet God was able to rebuild what Satan had torn down.

But, I also cannot forget that Joseph lived decades between the first betrayal by his brothers to his reunion with them.  And those decades included their own trials and the evil intentions of others.

And that’s where we are, right?  These days and years of reweaving are not easy at all.  But we will take the encouragement where we find it, right?

I hope this letter finds you well at this particular moment of today, and I hope you are able to see God reweaving and rebuilding in your life.

In Christ,
Sara