Hinge Points

Pastor Shannon at Matanuska Assembly of God said something recently in a sermon that ties in with my last couple of posts. If you are just now joining us, I started by asking what would 38 year old me say to 18 year old me if I could go back 20 years. But since time travel is still not possible (along with snarky robot butlers), a more productive question is to ask what would 58 year old me say to 38 year old me.

What I don't want to miss out on is what I call "hinge points." Pastor Shannon pointed out one of these hinge points in a very familiar Bible passage. It's the account of Joseph. He was the guy who was his father's favorite of 11 sons and was given a coat of many colors. Out of jealousy his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt where he became the manager of Potiphar's household. Because Joseph wouldn't compromise his integrity and refused Potiphar's wife's advances, she had him thrown into prison.

This is where he encounters his hinge point. In the New Living Translation, Genesis 40:6 reads like this: "When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset." He noticed that the cupbearer & the baker were upset and made a connection with them that later led to not only his release from prison, but led to him becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt, saving his family and all of Egypt from a coming famine.

A seemingly random moment where Joseph made an observation and commented on it was the first step on Joseph's journey to his destiny. You can't plan for that stuff. A college degree won't help you. It's not a matter of being in the right place at the right time. And it's only something you can recognize as being significant as you look back on it.

But I believe what it says in Psalms 37:23 ~ The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. I'm trusting in God's ability to direct my steps. As long as I'm smarter than this: (warning.... The video clip below has some girls in bikinis. Watch at your own discretion.)