Half the Picture

Have you ever taken a hike up a mountain or walked a trail where the mountains are visible? Aren't they beautiful? Some take heart in the physical labor of hiking a mountain or even walking a trail with a mountain view. The view at the top is so worth the climb! Looking down over the city, valleys, or nature's pure beauty is a calming experience. There is peace as you feel accomplished from your journey. When the mountain is a real life battle, it is so much harder to look at the mountain as beautiful. The mountain(s) are seen as treacherous, scary, or even something you would rather avoid. They raise questions like "Will I ever make it?", "Am I strong enough?", "Am I ready?", etc. What if the mountains of life are what truly teach us appreciation of the things around us? So many beautiful things can be discovered from the top of a mountain; things you may never have seen had you not taken the climb and remained at the bottom.

Before climbing the mountain we only hold half the whole picture. We see the here and now, while God sees the before, during , and after of the climb. In Genesis 37, a seventeen-year-old boy was sold by his brothers into slavery. He ended up in prison for over two years due to a false accusation made against him. This young man, Joseph, was completely innocent, yet it seemed nothing could go right for him. His family sold him like he was nothing of importance to them; and, when he refused to commit adultery, he was falsely accused of assault. This man did not deserve two days in prison, let alone two years. Joseph only knew the part of his story that was right in front of him, which included doing the right thing and being punished as if he did something wrong. Joseph had no idea the other half of the picture would save an entire nation from starving to death.

Joseph's release from jail, happened because of his God given talent to interpret dreams. He had shared that gift with fellow prisoners before their release. Though they forgot about Joseph until Pharaoh asked for an interpreter of dreams some time after their leaving jail, God did not. Pharaoh ordered for Joseph to be brought out of prison to interpret his dreams. Dream #1 was interpreted to warn Egypt of 7 years of bountiful harvest while dream #2 was interpreted to warn Egypt of 7 years of famine to follow the harvest. Joseph warns Pharaoh to prepare for the fulfillment of his dreams. Taking Joseph's advice, Pharaoh appoints Joseph to second most powerful position in Egypt and most importantly to the role of portioning the harvest to not only feed the nation during its years of plenty, but also in its years of famine. Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused, forgotten by men, but in the end his trials led to the survival of a nation.

We are no different than Joseph. We each have trials in our life that seem so big; however, they are not bigger than what we can handle with the power of God at our fingertips. Every little thing that makes you who you are is going to be used in some way in the story of your life that God is writing. God has given you talents, dreams, and passions. Each will come to your aid in some point of your journey through life. For me, God gave me a passion to help and encourage others, a dream of being an author, and a talent of writing that I am working hard to improve. No one has the whole picture of what God has in store for them, but God gave you a glimpse by the talents, dreams, and passions He gave you. What are you doing with them? Are you seeking ways to use them for His glory? When you reach a mountain in life do you face it worried about all that could go wrong or are you excited to see what God has to show you at the top of the mountain? Every mountain is worth the climb and each holds its own view widening your perspective of life itself. The question is do you trust that God will give you what you need to face the trials of life or are you reliant upon your own strength?