God's Love Goes Beyond Brokenness

Our summer theme verse at Camp Metigoshe is God's Love Goes Beyond. I wrote this piece for our Tuesday day theme of; God's Love Goes Beyond Brokenness

Genesis: 45: 1-15

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five yers there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me- you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five yers of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and a ll who belong to you will become destitute.' You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. Tell my father about a ll the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly." Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

Genesis 50:19-20

But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

In our story we hear about the story of Joseph. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery when they were younger and we hear the story of Joseph reuniting with his brothers many years later. There is a lot of brokenness in our world. This might be brokenness in our families, within friendships, in nature, communities, and injustices.

There is one kind of tree called a Jack Pine tree. These trees drop their cones on the ground and they remain closed until a forest fire comes through. When the fire comes through and burns everything else down, the cones open and replant themselves in the ground. So, these trees are the ones that are the start to the new forest. It’s kind of crazy to think that a forest fire is how these trees are planted so that they can create something beautiful. I think it’s often for us to think that when situations like this happen, there is no good within it. Specifically talking about natural disasters, hurricanes, tornados, forest fires, etc., they tend to create brokenness and damage throughout communities. Yet, as we see in the jack pines, although brokenness is present, there is still beauty. Communities come together, jack pines reseed themselves after the fire, there is hope.

Just as God created jack pines to reseed themselves after the fire, God has created us to walk with each other through the brokenness and pain to find the beauty on the other side, just as God walked with Joseph through his brokenness. So, be there for your friends. When there is brokenness, don’t give up. God has big things in store for you.

Joseph and his family experienced brokenness. But, even though brokenness is present, it isn’t the end of their story. There is beauty to be found. God’s love is so much greater than the brokenness in our lives. God doesn’t promise us a life without brokenness, but God does promise to walk with us. God’s love goes beyond the brokenness because even though we change and learn through the brokenness, God still claims us as their precious child. God loves you, no matter what you’re going through. God walks with you. God will not leave you. Because, brokenness isn’t the end of your story, it’s the beginning of something beautiful.

Better Together, Jess