Joseph had some pretty rotten stuff happen to him, not only from strangers but from his own family! But yet he trusted God to have good things planned. I sometimes wonder if he was ever impatient or if he ever complained to God about what was going on? In The Message, it says he was 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery, and things didn’t start getting better until he was 30! Even with all the hurt and trouble Joseph had, he was able to forgive those who wronged him. Unconditionally. The way God forgives us. Unconditionally.

“That’s the end of the dreamer! the brothers thought. But they were wrong. God had a magnificent dream for Joseph’s life and even when it looked like everything had gone wrong, God would use it all to help make the dream come true. God would use everything that was happening to Joseph to do something good.”

Joseph couldn’t hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before all his attendants. He cried out, “Leave! Clear out—everyone leave!” So there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers. But his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn’t help but hear him. The news was soon reported to Pharaoh’s palace.

Genesis 37-46

I am following my friend Amanda’s Advent Stitch-A-Long. You can find instructions for today’s ornament here. Prep instructions by Amanda are here.

The book used for the Advent reading is The Jesus Storybook Bible. You can find more information the book here or buy it on Amazon here.