We all think we want God’s blessing and the fruits of success… or do we? Allow me to share with you some thoughts to consider. We pray for God’s blessings on our lives expecting it to come as a gentle breeze with rose petals gracefully wafting through our circumstances bringing cheerfulness and less pressure to our lives. In my view, that perspective is the space where romance novel meets Christian lifestyle book and we live happily ever after.

Then there’s that Christian magazine with a beautiful middle age woman with slightly greying hair, standing in her Williams Sonoma kitchen cooking a holiday feast for her perfectly behaved and loving family. You know; the Facebook family we all see on our screen during Thanksgiving and then wonder what is wrong with our dysfunctional family? You can almost see her matriarchal halo if you peer close enough to the photo.

DEADLIEST CATCH

One of my favorite stories on the life of Jesus is depicted in Luke’s account. (Chapter 5) From the story we learn Jesus had befriended a group of local businessmen who had a fishing operation on the Sea of Galilee. Fishing was a risky business. The weather could be unpredictable and dangerous, and the fish didn’t always want to be caught! Remember, this was also at a time before commercial fishermen had the benefit of sonar and throwing your nets over the side of the boat was a hit or miss proposition. Often lots of effort amounted to little results. This particular day the fishermen were having a “little results” kinda day and it was depressing. They were feeling a bit dejected.

Jesus decided to interject himself into the situation and suggested the weary business owner Simon throw his net over the side of the boat one more time. I imagine though rather begrudgingly, the record states he did just that. Much to his surprise, as he began to pull his net up, he could barely lift it! Initially, he was overcome by shock as his net was swarming with flopping and squirming fish. Here is where the story ends in church and we all cheer for Jesus and Simon and for the great blessing which had befallen him. It’s a bumper crop harvest of fish and Simon will make lots of money to support his family we tell ourselves. Yeah!!! Thank you Jesus!!! We all love to proclaim.

It takes a shrewd business eye to realize what this new found prosperity was actually doing to Simon’s business… his infrastructure was collapsing under the weight of his new found success. Note in verses 6 & 7 of Luke Chapter 5, their business equipment was breaking down after being overwhelmed with their new found prosperity. We read their nets were tearing and their boats were sinking! Simon radioed for help and his partners came but they too were sucked into the vortex of the blessing whirlpool. The situation was such they very well could have ended up in Davey Jones’ Locker.

For most of us we have been conditioned to view poverty or limited resources as a test of our character. Few seem to realize success and prosperity have their own dynamics which will test your heart. Who we think we are gets revealed when success is achieved with its financial benefits. Money is a form of power and when you have it, it gives you unbridled freedom in ways you have never experienced before. That freedom, if not tethered to a strong moral, ethical and principled base, will always result in self-destruction. There is a very obvious reason so many of our media stars coming crashing back to earth too often in death spirals!

HERE KITTY, KITTY

Too often, when we beseech God, we cry “here kitty, kitty” and what comes charging out at you from the bush is a terrifying powerful lion! There is a reason we read stories of people who have had personal encounters with God quaking while trying to not pee in their pants. I have also experienced in dialoguing with people about their success, they use phrases like “I didn’t expect that” or “I didn’t see that coming” quite frequently.

On my second trip back to Zimbabwe, Africa years ago, I took with me a South African colleague who was then living in the US. I wanted him to see and experience a racial reconciliation project I was very interested in being involved with there. I thought his knowledge of the culture would be an invaluable asset in guiding some of my weighty decisions. He was a rugged individual who I was happy to have along in the bush environment of Africa given his experience growing up there.

I also have a passion for photography, especially shooting wildlife photos. After we had been there a few weeks we were invited to travel north and visit the Hwange National Park. I was so excited to get the opportunity to photograph wildlife in their natural habitat. The whole experience for me was memorable and I felt like I was in my element. My childhood dream of being a photographer for National Geographic was not far from my mind. We were there for three days and I was fortunate to get shots of multitudes of different animals. I had one major disappointment though and it was not seeing a lion! I really had hoped to have had the experience.

After sharing my disappointment with the others in the group, it was decided that on the morning of the day we were to return south, my friend and I would get up at sunrise and drive out into the park in hopes of seeing a lion. I was so hopeful and had my fingers crossed as we headed out. He drove and I sat in the passenger’s seat with my telephoto lens mounted and ready to go. We had been driving for 30 minutes or so when he rather excitedly yelled “Did you see that!” I quickly turned my head just in time to see the last of a lion, with its tail swooshing through the air, disappearing into the bush. My friend pushed his foot down on the accelerator and we raced to where we had last seen the lion head into the bush.

As we stopped the car we scanned the bushes and noticed the lion was actually lying down in the grass but was so well camouflaged you could barely recognize him. Yes, it was a him! Even more excitement now filled the air. I found myself trying to focus in on the lion through the driver’s window and it wasn’t working. I decided to hop in the back of the car so I could roll down the window behind my friend and shoot unobstructed. My heart was beating so fast but I felt safe, after all I was with one of Africa’s native sons, experienced in these type situations. Or so I thought! These were the days before digital cameras so one had to be frugal with their shots to save on processing expenses later.

After sitting there staring at each other for 15 minutes, the lion did not seem at all interested in coming out of the bush and posing for me. I asked my bush guide what we could do to entice the lion out. He wasn’t buying into my suggestion of getting out of the car and starting to run for me. He decided to start yelling at the lion instead. As he yelled, I was all set up in the back seat. I was 100% focused in on the moment with all my attention on the beast. I had positioned myself on the back seat to get the best shot. What happened next was a blur! From a complete prone position on the ground, the lion’s tail shot up and he shot straight forward towards us letting out an ear deafening roar.

A split second later I found myself hurtling backward while seeing the car roof’s upholstery above me. The ground was rumbling. I soon realized we were hurtling down the parks dirt road at an extremely high velocity. As I pulled it together in the backseat and pulled myself up, I asked my friend what in heaven’s name had just happened. He was breathing so fast he could barely communicate. While trying to catch his breath he said “I have no idea as to what just happened but while my head was focused on yelling at that big cat, when he charged, my feet seem to have a mind of their own.” He had inadvertently popped the clutch and spun the tires extraditing us out of the situation in record time.

We still laugh about the whole experience to this day. As we stopped afterward to catch our breath, I wondered if I had taken a photo of the charging lion? I had no way of knowing until we returned home and I was able to develop the film. I was thrilled to later discover, while a bit blurry, my finger had in fact pressed the button and I got one precious photo of the moment.

GRUMPY CAT

How we respond to unexpected moments where powerful forces are at work, or significant matters are on the table, has a great deal to do with what we will be put in charge of at a later date in our lives. As we’ve been dialoguing about over the few last months, the biblical Joseph went through a series of experiences whereby he was unjustly and unfairly treated. In each situation, he was forced to make decisions in how he was going to deal with those unfortunate moments. In his case he chose to keep moving forward one step at a time and worked diligently and responsibly at what had been forced upon him. He wasn’t in the place he wanted to be but unbeknownst to him, he was in the place he needed to be.

As we look back in time to Joseph’s story… The god/king of Egypt had woken up in a really bad mood which had sent the palace court into a tizzy.  He had not slept well the night before and was irritable. After heading to bed the night before, he was assailed with troubling dreams God was giving him. The whole experience had left him anxious and annoyed as he had no idea what any of it meant. This was one of those moments where wisdom dictated it would have been best to avoid the Pharaoh that morning. He was in a really funky mood. Being in his line of fire could have been deadly and the best course of action was avoidance.

One can easily imagine the Pharaoh screaming at his Chief of Staff to assemble the Cabinet as he had something of significance to share with them. The problem was of course, he had no idea as to what his dreams actually meant or why they were important. In what must have been a rather awkward Cabinet meeting, neither did anyone else understand. There they all sat being read in on a Top Secret Briefing which no one actually understood. Funny how we are thousands or years down the road and the same situation still happens in governments all around the world. Being in government doesn’t mean you understand.

I suspect the lack of any intelligent insight on behalf of his Cabinet Ministers only agitated the Pharaoh even more. It was in the awkward silence a weak voice spoke up. We can surmise it was weak by the way the Cupbearer initiated his comments; “Today I was reminded of my shortcomings” (Genesis 41:8) This guy obviously had not gone through a Tony Robbins seminar as he led with a negative statement about himself. His self-esteem needed a boost. He was feeling fragile.

HUMMM… SO WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON HERE?

One wonders what was driving the Cupbearer to speak up then after two years of silence. Why suddenly then did he decide to remember Joseph? It is clear by his timidity; he wasn’t real sure which direction to go in the moment. If he didn’t speak up, and Pharaoh’s anger continued to ratchet up due to their perceived incompetency, they could all be facing the firing squad that night. On the other hand, speaking up and putting your life in the hands of another is equally risky. What if Joseph failed to suppress the Pharaoh’s anxiety? They still could have all ended up dead. The Cupbearer decided to risk being proactive and told his story about meeting the unknown Joseph in prison. The upside was, if Joseph hit it out of the park, the Cupbearer stood to gain favor with the Pharaoh and increase his influence within the government. The downside of course was the eminent threat of death.

In the meantime, Joseph is going about his daily duties in the prison having no idea there was a national emergency and it was an all hands on deck situation just down the road at the White House. Suddenly, he noticed government officials had come to the prison and were in intense discussions with the warden while frequently glancing over at him. One can only imagine what is going through Joseph’s mind. Is this the day I die might have been at the top of his list? Nonetheless, he was approached and asked to shower and shave because his presence had been requested by the White House. This would have been perplexing and yet intriguing at the same time. I’m sure Joseph’s heart was racing in the shower.

The fact the order came directly from the President made it serious and would also have put Joseph in a sober mood. How desperate is the President that he wants to speak with a lowly Hebrew prisoner like myself Joseph wondered? Given how much the Egyptians looked down on the Hebrews as filthy cattle herders, one can surmise the Pharaoh was feeling rather distressed. Those dreams had him agitated him to the point he was ready to humble himself and ask for the help of the lowly Joseph.

DESPERATE TIMES TAKE DESPERATE MEASURES

This scenario reminds of a story that was told to me about President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950’s. He too was perplexed and troubled by his dreams and in need of wise counsel from outside his cabinet. In his desperation, he sought out the advice of a farmer friend of his from Kansas who was known as “a seer” by the locals. With his Secret Service detail in tow, he visited the man on his farm one hot summer. The problem was, the farmer had anosmia which is the loss of smell and had no idea the animals which came in and out of the house had urinated and defecated all over the floor. The smell was horrific but Eisenhower was so desperate, he sat there trying to control his eyes from burning and his tear ducts from watering in hopes God would speak to him through this simple farmer he trusted. Desperate men take desperate measures in times of crisis.

Joseph soon found himself in the most awkward situation. He was suddenly standing at the global corridor of power but as a complete outsider. What awaited him on the other side of the door was frightening. Joseph’s previous experiences with power had left indelible scars on his soul as he had not fared well. He was not thrilled to be put back into the mix and found himself hesitant to interject himself into the moment. It’s not hard to imagine him thinking, prison though it has its limitations, is my safe space. I have my needs meet, a little autonomy and they like me there! His first reaction to the moment was to not risk it. But…