“Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?’” (Genesis 50:15-19).

Has anyone else had a lot to keep track of lately? Because this past year, I’ve had a list!

Everything, including buying the cheese for our daughter’s wedding shower to booking a hotel for a writer’s conference, listing ways to fighting insomnia, and making an arch to hold 100 balloons has been on my list. The pendulum seems to swing wildly between struggle and celebration, with most of my life’s details titled under “Cheese Notes.” 

“But why Cheese Notes?” My husband asked and shook his head when I had him add more to my list. 

“Because I don’t want to forget what’s on the list,” I say. Because when you label anything under cheese, for some weird reason, I pay attention. 

“I have my priorities.”

And the list kept growing.

A Better Place 

There are some scribbles from a Sunday sermon. There is a title of a new song my daughter wants me to listen to. Also, Scripture references for the parenting book I’m writing. Along with more notes and verse references with specific things God’s still trying to teach me. All these excess things recorded, sandwiched in by prayer requests from our Thursday evenings small group, and then three stars by a quote I heard in the movie Redeeming Love. Saying,

“Sometimes you have to leave behind what you were born into to become who God meant you to be.”

This is where my words come to a full stop…with this quote that’s completely unmoored me. Bringing the celebration, the stress, the thoughts and simple things and prayers around full circle, I think.

Silly as it seems, this list looks a little like leaving to me. Like, this quote. As I read between the lines I see that I’m leaving behind a season now, leaving behind lists and shortcomings. But I’m also becoming…I don’t know…better for it, too. 

And when I sat in these verses in Genesis last night, I saw a magnificent story play out in the life of Joseph. It’s a story of a man who was forced to leave what he was born into to become the man God wanted him to be. 

A Place of Purpose 

It’s a story of ruin to rescue. Sometimes I think life is stressful, dramatic, and hard to handle—but we see the story play out in the life of Joseph and remember: faith is a process of trading who you think you are for who God knows you will be. Like Joseph, we are being completely transformed. 

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died:‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?’” (Genesis 50:15-19). It’s funny, I’ve considered this verse to have dual meaning for me. Joseph knew he was not called to be like God and stand in a place of judgment, to forgive his brothers. He asks, “…am I in the place of God?” 

But also, the verse impresses upon us that Joseph was not a victim of circumstance, but a dreamer of purpose. All that happened to him, his long lists—his rise to power, the famine, and then Israel’s rescue—were all evidence of God’s divine hands at work. 

Joseph was exactly where God placed him—on purpose. 

A Place of Prayer 

And Joseph understood this:

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” (Genesis 50: 16-21). This can change your list, friends. Can we take all that is wrong today, our struggle, our pain, our circumstance and trust God to make something good out of it? To believe you are standing in a specific place on purpose. 

It’s hard, though, to step out of familiar shoes, isn’t it? To take off one coat and put on another. To let go of the lists and just eat the cheese, already.

We see through Joseph’s eyes, though, through his deep wells and slavery and dreams of faith, and prayers… we see who we can become. We can be a giver and forgiver. A God follower, a family rind (again with the cheese, sorry). Because our lives are just a small glimpse and outer layer of all God’s purposed in us, I think. 

Let’s let God place us someplace good today. Maybe into a larger space of prayer? I’ll admit, sometimes I see prayer as a way to simply help me thrive, but that’s not true. Prayer is rest where we are revived. With prayer, we move from the well to wellness. Join me, will you? Let’s dream dreams and live in a good place of purpose. Because “Sometimes you have to leave behind what you were born into, to become who God meant you to be.” Sometimes, too, you have to let go of the lists, and the cheese.