Devotion: Joseph & The Power of Choice
Joseph & The Power of Choice
Take a moment to read through Genesis 45:1-8a
The timing of this week’s sermon and passage could not be more appropriate in my family’s life this week.
Through a series of unforeseen circumstances in recent days, our family has had to make challenging decisions that have demonstrated the resilience of our family unit. So the phrase “being family is a choice and being resilient is a choice,” by Pastor Greg resonates with a striking depth!
My husband and I often talk about how the character of our choices will impact our children’s adulthood, because we have reflected for many years now on what we have overcome in our own childhoods to create a marriage partnership that’s honest, transparent, and fully actualized.
The throughline to the concept of church as family is evident too. What is so beautiful about the Sheridan family is that it functions as a dynamic human family does.
What do I mean? Here are some examples of what I have witnessed at Sheridan:
- We come together to share our lives through meals
- We gather to learn, sing, and be present with each other
- We look beyond our walls at how we can impact the greater community
- We acknowledge our imperfections and embrace one another’s strengths
- We care deeply for children
- We reach out to those who are suffering
- We learn from the past, and make a path for future generations
- We respect that everyone is different and that is OK
We, as a congregation, and as leaders, don’t *have* to choose this. Yet, we do! I have been involved in other church communities years ago where, although some of these things were present, grace, forgiveness, and diversity of thought were not present, and many people fell into the cult mindset that dogma was more important than caring for people.
We can continually grow in these good things. We can hold up the mirror to ourselves and ask, “Am I choosing to love others well who believe things I completely disagree with? Am I choosing to embrace the mess and, some days, the difficulty that is keeping a family knit together to unite for the same vision and purpose?”
We have a choice each and every day.
God, make real to us the family right in front of us. Show us the “family by choice” we encounter every day. Thank you for showing us the power of forgiveness in Joseph and what it looks like to choose a family that didn’t choose him. May we remember that our family here is the embodiment of your family across all time. Amen.
Written by Joanna Clay
Joanna and her husband, Matt, live in Lincoln with their two young daughters, Emery and Madisen. The Clays have been members of the Sheridan community since 2014. Joanna is Senior Content Manager for a San Diego-based healthcare coaching company called Practicing Excellence. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, longboarding, binge-watching historical dramas, and connecting with others over life’s big questions.